His Black Rider
by His Black Rider
Summary: A young woman from Earth, gets dragged into the StarWars universe by a sith, where after escaping him, she becomes a figure known as the Black Rider. As she encounters danger and betrayal, she also captures the heart of a young Jedi, named Obiwan.
1. Chapter 1: A Not So Normal Day

CHAPTER ONE: A Not So Ordinary Day

"C'mon Angie! Let's see!" Kristen called out.

"Yeah get out of there!" Melanie agreed. The two friends were greeted by a laugh in response.

"Don't make me break that door down Angela Marie Johnson!" Kristen playfully threatened. The small wooden door opened just a bit and the head of the young women named Angela immerged.

"No need for middle names Kristen; remember patience is a virtue." She lightly scolded. Kristen smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Yes Mother," Kristen replied sarcastically, "Now hurry up and come out so we can see you." She added.

"Oh alright, but when I do, I don't want you two causing a scene." Angela's eyes narrowed softly at her two friends as a small warning. Kristen and Melanie gave each other a quick look at each other before looking back to Angela.

"Us? Make a scene? Never!" Melanie dramatically replied

"Uh huh sure!" Angela threw back. That sent all three young women into a fit of giggles. Once they calmed down, Angela looked to the floor and let out a sigh.

"Well, here I come." She spoke while pushing the door all the way open and timidly stepped out. Her friends were completely silent as she stood before them. Angela was dressed in a floor length gown with a full skirt and corseted back. Its color was of a dark red rose; the straps hung off her shoulders and with its scooped-cut bodice, just the right amount of cleavage was revealed. Angela bit her lower lip,

"Well?" she asked

"Oh my gosh!" Kristen spoke her bright eyes wide in awe.

"Angie, you look incredible." Melanie added almost breathlessly. Color rose to Angela's cheeks and she shyly looked down, a smile gently playing across her lips.

"Really? So then I should get the dress?" she asked lifting her eyes to her friends.

"Definitely!" they replied in unison. Angela giggled and reached a hand up to brush some strands of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.

"Ok well I'll just go and get out of this dress, check out, then we'll go and get something to eat. Sound good?" she asked while picking up the front of her long gown, turned, and walked back into the small changing room.

"Yup I'm game!" Melanie spoke

"Me too!" Kristen added.

"Ok cool. Give me a few minutes, and I'll meet you at the check out desk." Angela spoke through the closed door.

"Ok." They replied together and left the room. Angela's hands reached behind her lower back and began unlacing the corset. Then she pulled the zipper that hung on her left hip, and the dress slid off her pale shoulders to the floor. She turned around and grabbed her jeans on the bench and stepped into them, her shirt soon followed after that. Bending down, she picked up her gown and hung it back onto its hanger then draped it over her arm. Her flip-flops rested in a corner, and after sliding her tiny feet into her shoes, she turned to open the door and leave. As her hand closed around the silver knob on the door, a sound reached her ears; she stopped and listened. The sound grew and began to echo off the walls; Angela was able to pick up words.

"My child, my girl, it is your time, your destiny begins tonight." The voice was deep sounding, almost haunting.

"Excuse me?" Angela asked out loud "Someone out there?"

"Tonight, my girl. Tonight." Then slowly the voice faded away; Angela opened up the door and walked out expecting to see whoever she was just talking to. But no one was out there, she was alone. Shaking her head, she quickly left the dressing room. Melanie and Kristen were waiting patiently at the check out desk, both smiling like the young school girls they all were.

"Did you hear that?" Angela asked as she walked up to her friends. They turned to her and gave her a very puzzled look.

"Hear what?" Kristen asked, her head slightly cocked to the side.

"Were we supposed to hear something?" Melanie asked. Though her eyes held confusion, her smile still remained.

"Umm…nothing, forget it." Angela gave them both a smile of reassurance then she stepped up to the check out desk and laid her gown down on it. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a credit card which she handed over to the clerk. After a few minutes, she had finished paying for her gown and her gown was already bagged and ready to go. Angela bid the clerk a good day before picking up her gown and carried it out of the store, her friends' right beside her. The three girls headed to their car parked on the far side of the parking lot. Once there Kristen immediately went to the drivers side, she was the only one out of the three who was legally capable of driving. They're only 16.

"Shot gun!" Melanie called gleefully and ran to the other front seat. Angela laughed and moved to the right hand side of the car and climbed in the back. She laid her gown down next to her, and buckled up. Kristen then started the car, and back out of the lot.

"I'm starving! Where do you guys wanna eat at?" Kristen asked. Angela leaned to side to glance at the small digital clock up front. It read 5:53. Angela smiled and replied,

"Who's up for Taco Bell?" The car went in cheers, obviously all agreed. So they pulled into the closest Taco Bell they could find and went through the drive-through. Once food was inside that car, the girls jumped on it like crazy. Now that their hunger was satisfied, they all just kicked back and relaxed as they drove down the freeway; well all but Kristen of course, she was a little busy concentrating on the road. Angela who was now leaning against the window, began to doze off, her eyes were suddenly heavy with sleep.

"Hey Kristen?" Angela asked while yawning,

"Waz up Angie?" Kristen replied

"Can you drop me off at my house?" Angela mumbled.

"Yeah sure!" Kristen responded while looking into her mirror, and then she added "Tired?"

"Mmhmm.." Angela mumbled again, her eyes now closed. She heard Kristen and Melanie laugh quietly; then she fell into a deep sleep.

Angela stood in the center of a dark room. The only lights on were the few torches that hung on the black walls. Angela looked all around her; the room she stood in was unfamiliar. The floor was black marble and was cold beneath her bare feet.

"Wait…." Angela spoke out loud, "Bare?" she looked down upon herself to find that she was dressed in an all black outfit. It consisted of a long, black silk dress that dragged on the floor; a slit in the dress, traveled up her left leg and stopped about six inches below her hip. The only design on the dress was two silver strands that formed an X across her hips. The dress was strapless, but on her shoulders rested a black velvet cloak. What really caught Angela's attention however, was not her clothes, but the long silver saber that hung limply at her side. As Angela looked down upon the captivating weapon, footsteps sounded across the other side of the room. Each step echoed off the walls and came closer toward her. Though she looked all around, she couldn't find the source of whoever was approaching, it was too dark to see anything. Fear began to wrap itself around Angela, and she slowly started retreating away from the steps. But as she started to move, the steps stopped; Angela froze in place. Her heart was pounding so hard, it hurt to breathe. Suddenly a hand snatched her shoulder from behind, and spun her around. Before she could scream, menacing yellow eyes pierced into her gentle ocean colored ones, and silenced her.

"Tonight!" the figure spoke.


	2. Chapter 2: A Dream Begins A Destiny

CHAPTER TWO: A Dream Begins a Destiny

Angela's eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up.

"Angie? Hello? Sleeping beauty, you finally awake?" Melanie asked. Angela turned her head and gazed out the window, the car now rested in Angela's driveway. Angela closed her eyes for a few seconds,

"It was just a dream." She told herself. After regaining herself, she reopened her eyes and picked up her gown. She pushed open the car door, and a cold gust of night air rushed in to greet her.

"Thanks for the ride Krissy! And thanks you two for going shopping with me today, I had loads of fun." Angela spoke giving her friends a quick smile.

"No problem Angie!" Kristen replied smiling as well

"Yeah it was our pleasure Angie. And if it's not too bold to say, you're going to be the most gorgeous girl at prom next week." Melanie added giving Angela a playful wink.

"Oh definitely!" Kristen agreed. Angela laughed and simply shook her head.

"Goodnight girls!" she spoke, while closing the car door and stepping away from the car.

"Night!" They replied and waved to Angela as they drove down the driveway and out of sight. Angela walked up her front steps and opened the front door. She walked inside her quiet house and made for the stairs. Climbing them quickly, she reached the top and headed straight to her bedroom. She turned on her light, and strolled sleepily over to her desk where she draped her gown over the back of a chair. Then she collapsed onto her bed in exhaustion, and buried her head in her soft pillows. She was so wanting to go to bed right then, but she realized that she wasn't exactly ready for bed. Though she didn't want to get up, she forced herself to sit up, and began stripping off her clothes. Once she was left in only her underwear, she reached over to her nightstand where a nightgown laid folded neatly on top. She slid the soft material over her head, and pulled it down her waist where it ran down her body and stopped at her ankles. Then she stood up and walked to the wall to turn off the light. Once the room was completely dark, she climbed back into bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. Turning on her side, she once again closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

Suddenly, Angela felt cold. She opened her eyes to find herself lying on a floor. She was once again dressed in her black attire. Sitting up, confused, Angela looked around; the familiar walls, the scenery, she was back in the same place she dreamt about before. Then she remembered,

"The eyes…" she whispered. A chill ran down her spine, and Angela suddenly felt as though she was no longer alone. Feeling eyes upon her back, she looked over her shoulder, and there standing in the shadows, were the glowing eyes from before, watching her. She gasped. The eyes stepped out of the shadows, and began walking toward her. Now, she had a better look of everything, and found that the eyes belonged to a tall, dark figure who was dressed in a black cloak; the hood was drawn up and over its head. Within in a few seconds, the figure stopped right in front of Angela. She quickly looked down, almost afraid to meet whoever this thing was. She kept her eyes focused on the floor, but after a few minutes of silence, wondering why no one has spoken, she began to raise her gaze. Her eyes met a pair of black boots, then as they traveled up the rest of the form, she realized that the figure, was actually a man. He was, quite tall, with broad shoulders, and a firm chest; on his hip rested a silver object as well, but it looked nothing like Angela's saber, it was much smaller. She let her gaze wander up to his face, which was still hidden by his hood, but his eyes were still very visible. Angela drew in a shaky breath. In an instant, the man dropped to a knee, and knelt before her. She jumped at the sudden movement, and became very aware of how close this stranger was to her. Slowly, she tried to scoot back, but before she could get a few inches away, his hand shot out and grabbed her left wrist in a death grasp. Angela gasped at the sudden hostility, then he quickly rose off his knee, pulling her up, off the floor as well. He took a step closer to her small form, his, now towering above hers. When she tried pulling her hand away, hoping he'd let go and put some distance between him and her, he only tightened his grip. Now it started to hurt.

"Let go." she said her voice was shaking, but it was firm. "You're hurting me!" she pleaded. He just continued to stare at her, his eyes never leaving her face.

"What do you want?" she asked. He brought her captured wrist into his other hand. Holding it with both hands now, he held it flat out, the back of her hand facing the ceiling. Then what he did next caught her off guard. He ran his thumb across the smooth skin, almost caressing it. Angela looked down at what he was doing then looked back up at him. Shaking her head in confusion to his actions, she spoke

"I don't understand...." she whispered.

"It begins tonight!" he replied. Her eyes widened at recognition. "You're the voice I heard earlier today." she stated, he only nodded.

"What begins? What?" she asked. He leaned in closer to her face.

"Your destiny begins tonight." he replied then he began reciting some type of gibberish.

"My destiny? What's that me..." Angela couldn't even finish her sentence. Her hand, the one that he held, suddenly felt as though it was on fire. In pain, she frantically began struggling, and pulling away, but her attempts were futile. He only held on tighter, if that was even possible. Pretty soon, she was screaming in pain, and fell to her knees on the floor. But he still didn't let go. With her burning hand within his grasp, he stood above her and spoke once more.

"Tonight, It begins!!" then he released her, and she felt like she was falling right through the floor, into a black abyss....

Her eyes snapped open again, and she was home, in her bed. And at first, she thought that she just had another nightmare, but then a burning sensation that still lingered on her left hand, filled her with doubts. When she ran a finger across the back of her hand, she was met by a stinging pain, and she knew something was up. Angela quickly threw the covers off her body, and jumped out of bed, and ran to her light switch. Taking in a quick breath in, the flipped the switch and her dark room filled with light. She winced at the sudden brightness, but her eyes quickly adjusted. Lifting her left hand up her face for examination, she stared at it in disbelief. Covering most of the back of her hand, burned right in the center, was the symbol of a crescent moon with a single back star inside the moon. And it was bleeding. She couldn't believe what she was looking at, nor how it could've happened. But it did. Angela walked out of her bedroom, and into her bathroom. After rummaging around in the cupboards, she found some wrapping gauze; then ran her sore hand under the cold water faucet. Once the blood was washed off, Angela turned around to sit on the rim of the bathtub. With the gauze in her lap, she took a strip and began wrapping her hand up. Now that her hand was treated, she flexed her fingers around the bandaging, then she cradled her hand against her breasts. Looking down upon her hand for a minute, Angela found herself being drawn to the bathroom window. She stood slowly, and walked up to the small window. The night sky was clear, stars were everywhere. As her eyes scanned the sky, they finally rested on the biggest, brightest light in the sky; The Crescent moon.


	3. Chapter 3: An Unwelcomed Visitor

CHAPTER THREE: An Unwelcomed Visitor

It was very hard for Angela to go back to sleep that night. Her hand kept burning, that dream kept returning, she was tossing and turning all night long. When she awoke to the sound of her alarm clock going off at 6:45 in the morning, she knew that her school day today was going to be a pain in the neck. Groaning, she pulled herself out of bed, and got dressed. Not really caring what she would look like today, she threw on some jeans, a light blue cami, and a sweat shirt. Her bag was already downstairs, so she was pretty much ready to go with the exceptions of a few things like breakfast. Trudging down stairs, she was greeted once again by silence. Her parents were still in bed, and her other sisters didn't need to get up so early. After grabbing a quick breakfast, she picked up her bag off the floor, and walked out the front door to her bus stop. Once at school, everything was the same as it's always been. Nothing exciting. And she was right; the day seemed to go on and on and on. But at last the 3:05 bell rang and school was finally out. And after sitting on the bus for another 20 minutes, she was dropped off at home. Once inside, she immediately threw her bag off her shoulder and plopped down on the nearest couch. She grabbed the remote lying next to her and turned the TV on. And until it was dinner time, she amused herself by watching shows like "Family Guy", "CSI" even "SpongeBob Squarepants". When dinner finally arrived, it was unusually quiet, but that didn't bother Angela, she rarely talked when she ate anyway. After she was done eating, and she washed her dishes, Angela felt the need to take a nice long evening walk. It was only 6:34 and it was still light outside. Angela waltzed out of the kitchen and called up the stairs.

"Hey Mom, Dad? I'm going on a walk ok?" she asked.

"Alright honey, just be back before it gets too dark." Mom replied.

"Yeah and no talking to boys along the way!" Dad added.

Angela giggled at her father's response and shook her head. "Same old Dad." She thought.

Angela stepped outside and was met by a gentle gust of cool spring evening air. A smile bloomed across her lips as she began her walk. Angela was heading down the street to her neighborhood park, which lied about six blocks from her house. About halfway there, screams of the children on the playground filled the sky. Shaking her head softly she laughed softly thinking about the happy little young kids chasing each other around, and playing games in such. But it turns out that's not why they were screaming at all. As Angela approached the entrance to the park, she was met by a dozen, hysterical kids screaming in fear and running from the park. Becoming suddenly concerned, Angela took off into the park, trying to figure out what was going on. Kids were scattering everywhere, one even ran right into Angela; it was a little boy who looked no older than ten. Angela kneeled down so that she was eye level with the young boy,

"What's going on?" She asked

"The man in black, he's here looking for someone," he quickly replied.

"For who?" she questioned.

"No one knows, he didn't really say, only that the person is marked or something." He answered.

"Marked?" she repeated, then it dawned on her; her hand, the mark, he must be looking for her. Angela looked over the boy's shoulder, and saw a piece of the playground go flying across the park and land in the street. Angela looked back to the boy and firmly told him,

"Go and get out of here, tell every one else to do the same!" she ordered and the young boy took off running. Angela rose to her full height, and headed off in the direction of the flying playground piece. As her eyes scanned over the area, they landed on what she guessed was the _Man in black_. Taking a few moments to check the guy out she seemed to have recognized who he was.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." She murmured, before boldly stalking up to him.

"You look a little lost," she started; catching the man's attention, "Must be new around here eh?" she asked while crossing her arms over her chest. The man in black, now facing and looking right at Angela, lowered his hood revealing a frightening face covered in red and black tattoos. On his head, stuck up at least a dozen horns; his eyes glowed yellow. As he quickly took in the site of Angela standing before him, he smirked; his black and gold teeth flashing behind his lips.

"You've seen me before?" he asked raising an eyebrow at her.

"Kinda hard to forget someone like you." She grumbled then added, "Now what do you want?" she asked. He took a step closer; Angela stood her ground, unmoving.

"I'm….visiting, on business, if you will." He replied. Her eyes narrowed at his choice of words.

"What kind of business?" she questioned, not necessarily believing his real intentions.

"I'm picking up." He casually replied.

"I see, and umm how's that going for you?" She pushed. His smirk widened

"I believe," he stated, his eyes skimmed up and down her body, then finally rested on her left hand, "…that I have found what I'm looking for." He finished speaking, and began circling her like a cat stalking a mouse; Angela's eyes never left him once.

"I can see why my master has taken such an interest in you, I can feel the power just radiating off your form." He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath in before reopening his eyes and continued. "You are a strong one."

"Umm…thank you?" she answered, not understanding what he meant by his statement; then he started to chuckle,

"I know," He began, "It's sudden, but I think in time, you'll come around to the idea." He finished, then in a flash, he reached out and grabbed Angela by her arms and pulled her in close; she gasped in surprise and at the sudden hostility. He brought his face close to hers, and Angela pulled away disgusted.

"I think," he spoke, "…you and I will get along fine." Once again he chuckled softly; it was a low and menacing sound from the back of his throat. Angela raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Beg pardon?" she asked.

"You're coming with me." He answered quickly. Before Angela could respond to that, he spun her around tightly so her back pressed against his chest. Angela struggled in his hold, but every time she would pull away, he'd tighten his grip.

"Let go!" she yelled

"I don't think so." He replied before he reached into his robes and pulled out a piece of cloth; which he roughly placed over her nose and mouth covering up both parts completely. Her screams were muffled by his hand and cloth, and when she took in a breath, she began feeling light and dizzy, almost sleepy. She tried prying his hand away, but he was too strong. Within a few minutes, Angela fell unconscious into his arms.


	4. Chapter 4: On the Run From A Nightmare

CHAPTER FOUR: On The Run From A Nightmare

Angela didn't know how long she was out for, but when she finally came around, she knew something was amiss. Ever so slowly, she opened her eyes, and found herself staring at a very familiar ceiling. She sat up quickly, and found herself on a floor of black marble. Once again, Angela was in the very same room from her dreams, only this time, it was for real.

"Ah good," A voice spoke, bringing Angela to her senses, "The young lady has awakened." Angela looked across from her to see a man dressed in black robes slowly making his way over to where she sat.

"Your voice," she murmured, "You're the voice that I've been hearing!" she accused before pulling herself to her feet. The man gave a low bow.

"I am Darth Sidious, and yes you are correct, I was the voice you heard." He paused for a second, and Angela took that time to jump in,

"If you're the man from my dreams….," she started, "...then who was th…" Sidious interrupted her

"Ah my apprentice, you have returned." He spoke. Angela looked over her shoulder to find the other man in black entering the room.

"Unbelievable!" she thought then spoke out loud, "There's two of you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes indeed my girl." Sidious spoke, "Allow me to introduce to you my apprentice Darth Maul. I believe you two are already acquainted with one another?" Sidious lightly questioned; Angela rolled her eyes,

"Unfortunately our paths have crossed." She replied glaring dangerously at the man named Maul. Sidious chuckled,

"Well of course they have, you wouldn't be here otherwise." He added

"Why exactly am I here in the first place?" she asked

"All in good time my dear, all in good time." Sidious replied behind his hood before he turned from Angela and walked away.

"Wait!" She called "Where are you going?" Angela was becoming frustrated with the lack of answers.

"I have business I need to attend to, but don't worry, Maul will make sure you feel right at home." Sidious answered before disappearing from site. Angela stomped her foot in anger, "What is with you guys and business?" she growled before pacing across the floor. Maul took this time to step in, and he began approaching her from behind. Hearing his steps coming towards her, Angela raised her voice in warning,

"If you take one step closer, I'll be sure that's the last step you ever take!" she threatened, his steps stopped coming after that.

"You seem angry." He casually stated, a smile pulling at his mouth. Angela turned around quickly to face him,

"That's lightly putting it Maul!" she snapped, "You've taken me from my home, brought me to God knows where, and for what purpose?" her voice was rising in anger "Doesn't matter!" she answered from him, "'Cause I refuse to take part in anything you or your master have planned." And with that said, she stalked off across the room, looking for an exit; so ready to leave this place and go back to her normal life. Reaching the far side, she found a door that led down a very long hallway, but before she could pass through it, something strong latched onto her wrist. Spinning about she came face to face with Maul.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked sounding slightly amused

"Away from here and away from you!" she yelled; he pulled tighter on her wrist before he lowered his voice, and spoke

"You, Angela, aren't going anywhere, oh no, you're staying here!" he ordered then leaned in to whisper in her ear

"With me." He added. Angela's eyes widened and she was overcome by rage.

"NO!!" she cried. With her free hand, Angela took a swing at Maul's head and caught him right under his chin, but instead of staggering back a few inches, Maul flew back across the room and smacked into the wall. It was almost like he was pushed by an extremely powerful force. Angela, shocked at what she did, thought glad she did it, took off sprinting down the hallway, leaving Maul, who was trying to pick himself back up from his major blow, behind. Angela, not once looked back, she passed by many corridors, doors, but still no way out. After making a quick turn down another hallway, she came to the top of some stairs leading down to a lower level. As she rapidly descended on the stairs, her feet were moving so swiftly, she was almost tripping over them. Reaching the bottom, she stopped for a moment to quickly look at where she was going. So far her eyes came across nothing to help her escape, but to the right on the far side, Angela saw a small glass frame.

"A window!" she spoke "That works!" she thought. Quickly she ran up to the window, and began opening it. It wasn't a big window, but Angela could probably squeeze through. She fought with it, trying her hardest to pull it open wide enough, but it kept getting stuck, her knuckles were griping it so hard, they were practically white. But finally, it slid open, and Angela stuck her head out to see where this window was located. Looking down below was about a 10 foot drop to the pavement. And just beyond that was a straight clear path to a forest,

"If I could just get beyond those trees," Angela thought to herself, "I'd be free from this place." She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Maul wasn't close behind; he wasn't even in sight. Turning back to the window, she lifted her leg up first and stuck it through the window, her other leg followed right after that. Now that half her body was out, she squeezed her upper half through next, then after taking a deep breath in, she dropped. Her feet hit the ground incredibly hard that a sharp pain shot up her legs making her cry out in pain and tumble to the pavement. Luckily, her hands broke most of her fall, but even they got scratched up a bit. Jumping to her feet, she took off running, heading straight for the forest. Once shielded by the shadows of the trees, Angela looked back to where she had come from. Maul had brought her to what looked to be some type of palace, it was huge! Now understanding that fact that she was on the run, she continued on through the trees. Leaves and twigs crunched under her shoes, and every once in a while Angela would hear the sound of a bird chirping. She had no idea where she was going, but anywhere seemed better than being back within that palace place. She traveled on for about 15 minutes, then rested on a log. Her feet were sore, hiking through the woods in flip flops aren't the best things to wear. She gently massaged the soles of her feet, and while doing so, hummed a soft tune to calm her nerves. When she placed her feet back onto the ground, she felt her feet tremble slightly; the ground was vibrating? A noise in the distance, which sounded like a high-pitched motor, grew louder with each second. Angela rose from her sitting position.

"That doesn't sound good…" she grumbled. Turning quickly, she leaped over the log and took off running deeper into the forest. Branches snagged her jeans, and mud covered her feet; Angela not slowing her fast pace, flew right on by the trees. The rumbling sound grew louder, closer; Panic began to set into Angela's heart. A shadow flew overhead, and Angela skidded to a stop, but soon enough. Maul landed right in front of Angela, she smacked right into his chest. His hand latched onto her neck and gripped it tightly; Angela could no longer breathe. She gasped and struggled in his death-like grip, but to know avail. Maul's eyes were full of rage, and with flick of his wrist, he threw Angela into a tree. Her back struck against the hard bark, and she cried out in pain before sliding to the ground. Maul marched right over to where she sat huddled, and snatched her hair in his hand.

"Ahhhh!!!" Angela cried. Maul pulled her to her feet. When she stood fully on her feet again, he cuffed Angela across her face; the force of the blow sent her head bashing into the tree behind her. Angela could feel warm blood trickle down her face.

"Not a smart move Angela." Maul growled. Angela looked him dead in the eyes,

"What's your point?" she asked, her voice challenging his own. At her defiance, Maul punched her right in her stomach. All her breath left her at that moment and she collapsed on the ground. Clutching her stomach, she bent over gasping for air.

"Get up!" He ordered. Angela glared up at him, unmoving.

He kicked her hard in her side, and Angela felt something crack, her right side engulfed in pain. Angela felt her body go numb; Maul leaned down and pulled up on her arm, roughly dragging her to her feet. It hurt so much to stand, but Angela not wanting to show weakness to this man, stood tall. Raising a single hand up toward Maul, she focused all her thoughts and strength on him, and jerked her hand forward hoping to repeat what she did back in the palace. Maul was sent flying through the air, and Angela seeing her chance of escape once more, despite her body's protests, began sprinting hard across the forest. She was making good distance for someone in her condition; Maul banged her up pretty well. Then the sound of running water reached Angela's ears and she followed the sound to it's source. Finally, Angela broke out of the forest and now came to a stop on top of a stone cliff. Limping to the edge she gazed down, into a flowing river. The only problem was the 30 foot drop to the water.

"Oh great! Just what I need!" she swore. Quick steps were now approaching, and as Angela turned to face the edge of the forest from where she came out of, Maul immerged. His eyes were glowing a reddish yellow in the dark, it was almost terrifying to look at them.

"The first time you threw me Angela, I was angry, But now I'm really pissed off!" Maul spoke his voice low and dangerous.

"The feeling's mutual." She replied back.

"Step away from that cliff," Maul demanded

Angela shook her head and stepped closer to the edge,

"I don't think so!" And with that said, she turned about and jumped. Though the drop only took a few seconds, it felt like minutes before she fell into the cold rushing water. Surfacing, she splashed about, trying to get use to the feeling of the water. The rivers current was strong, and carried her downstream. She never saw even the slightest glance of Maul after her jump, and lucky her, he didn't follow. The current began to pick up speed halfway through, and Angela who was looking ahead, saw the edge of a waterfall advancing toward her. Knowing full well what normally lies at the bottom of water falls, Angela instead of swimming away from it, she swam directly towards it. And before she went over the edge, she leaped throwing her body as far away from the falls as possible. It wasn't a big drop, not like the one from the cliff, but it was still pretty big for Angela. After dropping into the water which was now calm and clear, Angela, now completely exhausted, dragged her tired and broken body over to the bank of the river. She pulled herself up and collapsed onto her stomach. Her breathing was still fast and quick, while her heart still pounded like drum.

"I hate my life." She grumbled, before she slowly picked herself off the ground. Keeping a hand upon her injured side she began to walk about, trying to figure out where she should go now.

"Perhaps if I followed the river…," she thought, "…it will lead me to civilization." She pondered the thought for a few moments, but guessed it was probably her safest bet. Trudging along side the river, Angela though in pain with every step she took, carried on like the strong young women she was. Every now and then, Angela would hiss in pain, and have to stop for a couple seconds, during that time Angela would look to the sky, almost praying that someone might come along and help her out. The sky, now recently dark, made it harder for Angela to see. A twig snapped, and Angela became alert, looking all around in the shadows for any sign of danger. But there was nothing there,

"..Animals…." she concluded shaking her head before continuing on her way. Step after step, she covered distance. Then unexpectedly,

"Ahhhh!!!" Angela cried, a sharp piercing sting shot up her left leg; she dropped to the ground. Turning on her side, she reached her hand down to the side of her knee and felt a sharp metal object protruding out her leg. With a trembling hand, she gritted her teeth and removed the object. It stuck deep into her skin, almost 3 inches. When she pulled it out, it was dripping with her blood; groaning, she let the object fall from her hands, then she placed both hands over the bloody wound, and began applying pressure. The blood wouldn't stop though. Only seconds after the object was removed did Angela start feeling light-headed. Her temples were throbbing, and her vision was blurry. Not long after that, Angela fainted.


	5. Chapter 5: A New Life

CHAPTER 5: A New Life

A quick nudge in her back brought Angela to her senses. Gradually she opened her eyes; Angela was suspended in midair, well half her body was. Angela found herself kneeling on a floor, her hands were chained above her head.

"This does not look good…." She groaned, then bowed her head in despair.

"Looks fine to me." Maul spoke from behind; Angela raised head, and looked over her shoulder.

"Why am I not surprised." She sarcastically replied.

His boots thudded against the floor as he came to stand before Angela, who was glaring daggers at him. Maul crossed his arms over his chest,

"My Master is not pleased with you." He spoke; Angela rolled her eyes,

"I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for someone who gives a crap about pleasing your Master." She snapped. Maul reached out and gripped her neck, Angela tensed.

"You should!" he warned, then he released her neck. Maul moved his hand to his hip, where he unhooked something and clutched it in his hands. Angela's eyes followed his every move, and once he opened his hand slightly, part of whatever he held fell to the floor. It looked to be a long black rope. Angela's eyes widened,

"You can't be serious!" she whispered

"You need to learn your place….," he started, then slowly walked to stand behind Angela

"…and pain will be your teacher." He finished.

Angela heard Maul crack the whip, and she felt her stomach drop,

"The more you cry out," Maul added, "The harder I'll be."

Angela's throat felt like it was closing up on her; she swallowed. The whip whistled through the air, then struck hard upon Angela's back, cutting through her shirt and skin. She arched in pain and yelled. The whip came down again;

"No screaming!" Maul spoke before raising the whip to strike her again.

"…..2……3……4…" Maul counted the times he brought the whip down. Angela gripped the chains that held her in place, after the first ten strikes, she was no longer crying out, and she kept from doing so by biting her lip. By 15, tears ran down her face, once Maul got to 20 or so, Angela lost track of how many times he had whipped her. As Maul was getting ready to bring the whip down again, he was interrupted,

"That's enough my apprentice, I believe she's received a fair enough punishment." Sidious spoke before coming to stand in front of Angela. Sidious raised a hand and Angela's chains fell off her wrists; she fell forward, but caught herself on her hands before hitting the floor. She kept her eyes lowered on her hands.

"Now I'm guessing that we won't have another issue like before. Will we?" Sidious asked, Angela was silent, as she shook her head no.

"Good." Sidious replied. "So, allow me to explain the ways things will work around here. First, you will do everything and all that I command you to do, disobedience will not be tolerated and will be punished severely. The one you just received is being generous compared to what can be done to you. And second, you shall always address me as _Master_ when in my presence. Now on your feet my new apprentice." He finished. Angela raised her head and eyes to Sidious,

"Apprentice?" she whispered out loud, "No…never!" she spoke

"Perhaps a day or so in the prison hold will change your mind." Sidious spoke, "Maul!" he called Maul stepped forward and bowed

"Master?" he asked.

"Escort this young lady to her cell." Sidious casually ordered. Angela looked over at Maul who went right up to her and roughly pulled her to her feet. She whimpered in pain, but kept moving when Maul shoved her forward.

"Have a goodnight my girl!" Sidious added before Maul led her out of the room she was in. With every step she took, she could feel blood trickle down and off her back. Her shirt was absolutely torn up, it was practically falling apart as she walked. Maul came to a door and opened it up, then pushed her inside. They traveled down a long spiral staircase before landing in a hallway. Gripping her upper arm, Maul pulled her along before stopping in front of a metal door. Maul touched a button on the side and the door slid open with a hiss making Angela jump in surprise.

"Get in!" he ordered.

Angela, not wanting to anger him, especially not after what she had just been through, quickly walked inside without hesitation. Maul stood in the door way. He gave Angela a quick smirk before he turned and left, the door closing shut as he did. As Angela looked around her small cold cell, she dropped to her knees on the floor. Her back was still stinging, but Angela not knowing what else to do, laid down on her side, the one that didn't have a cracked rib, and curled up on the ground. She was now alone, and trapped. Using one arm as a pillow, Angela closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

As Angela slept quietly on the cold floor, the cell door slid open, and a figure walked in. Angela, still deep in sleep, wasn't aware of the other presence in the room. The figure bent down, and with a gentle hand, placed it upon Angela's shoulder and shook her softly. Angela opened her eyes at the touch and stared in a shiny gold face.

"Ahhh!!" she screamed in alarm before jumping up and backing far away from the figure, who in turn also yelped in surprise.

"Oh dear me! I do apologize my lady if I startled you." The gold figure spoke. It had a females voice.

Angela rubbed her eyes, not believing who was talking, but as she stared into shiny metal face she had no other explanation.

"You're….." she stumbled; "you're a robot!" she spoke in disbelief.

"I beg your pardon? Robot? That name does not compute….allow me to introduce myself my lady, I am TB3. The protocol droid; I'm at your services my lady." TB3 bowed softly.

"Umm….ok…why are you here?" Angela asked.

"I was told by Master Sidious that you need medical attention, is that not so?" she asked cocking her head to the side. Angela looked over her shoulder and saw a small glance of her beaten back.

"Yeah I guess you could say that…" she grumbled

"Well then let's have a look!" TB3 spoke.

"If you insist…" Angela mumbled then rose off the ground.

TB3 walked over to a small bench pushed against the wall then beckoned Angela to come lay on it.

"If you will my lady." Angela shrugged before heading over to the bench and laid down on her stomach.

"Oh my!" TB3 spoke in shock; her metal hand tenderly touched Angela's back, she hissed softly.

"I'm afraid I didn't bring the supplies needed for this type of injury. Give me a moment I'll be right back." Angela watched as TB3 left the cell. Quietly, she rested her head on the folds of her arms and let out a sigh. About 5 minuets later, TB3 came back in, carrying a bowl filled with water and some rags. TB3 placed the bowl on the ground and dipped a rag within the water.

"If you don't mind my lady, but I may need you to remove your shirt." TB3 asked timidly.

"Oh…ok…" Angela replied quietly before sitting up on her knees, and pulled her shirt over her head. It hurt to move her arms that way since it stretched her back, but Angela remained silent. Once the bloody shirt was off her body, and she was left in her bra, she tossed her shirt to the floor. TB3 eyed her bra with curiosity,

"That's an interesting piece of clothing you wear….I've never seen something like that before.." TB3 commented curiously, "What's it for?" she asked; Angela smiled softly at her ignorance.

"Umm…well women, where I come from wear them to help support and cover their breasts. It's more comfortable for women to use them then not too." Angela explained.

"Interesting…..well you wouldn't mind removing that as well right?" she asked.

"No not at all." Angela replied before reaching behind her back and undoing the hooks that held her bra together. It easily came undone and soon joined the bloody shirt on the floor. Though Angela is a very modest young woman, she never had a problem with undressing in front of other women…even if they were droids. TB3 brought the wet rag over Angela's back, Angela could feel some water drip onto her skin.

"This may sting a bit my lady," TB3 softly warned.

"Angela." She spoke

"My lady?" TB3 asked

"My name is Angela." Angela replied.

"Oh that's an unusual name, but awfully pretty." TB3 spoke before lightly dabbing the wet rag across Angela's back. Angela arched for a second before relaxing again.

"Sorry my lady Angela, I'll try to make this as painless as possible." TB3 reassured

"It's alright TB3, doesn't hurt nearly as bad as when I received them." Angela replied. They didn't talk much after that, TB3 worked silently and efficiently on Angela's back. Once her back was washed, TB3 applied some type of anointment which took the stinging away, and would prevent scars. Then TB3 wrapped her back up in gauze –like material.

"There! All done." TB3 spoke. "Anything thing else?" she asked.

"Can you examine my torso? I think I may have cracked a rib…maybe…" Angela mumbled; Angela rolled over onto her back, so her stomach faced the ceiling.

"Of course!" TB3 responded. As TB3's mechanical hands felt around her torso, she came across a tender spot on her left side.

"Hmmmm….." TB3 analyzed "I don't think you have a broken or cracked rib, but there is definitely some swollen tissue and bruising. Just rest for a while and you'll be fine." TB3 finished

"Thank you TB3. I really appreciate all that you've done for me." Angela spoke and gave her a smile.

"You're very welcome my lady. Oh!" TB3 replied then touch a blinking light on her arm. "Excuse me my lady, but I'm being summoned elsewhere." TB3 bowed before she turned and left the cell.

"And now I'm alone." Angela spoke out loud. Shaking her head, she rolled onto her side, and laid across the bench. And for the first time since her arrival here, she thought of her family, and how they must be reacting to this whole thing, let alone her planet. Angela fell asleep to the memories of her old life, and before she went in a deep slumber she couldn't help but wonder; will she ever see her family again? Though she wanted to tell herself that she would, part of her told her that she wouldn't. Her old life was gone, long gone, this was her new life now.


	6. Chapter 6: And So It Begins

CHAPTER SIX: And So It Begins

Angela awoke from her sleep by the sound of Maul talking behind the cell door.

"Sleep well Angela?" he asked; her only response to that was a groan and a,

"GO AWAY!" she mumbled.

"I think not." He replied. The cell door slid open and Maul walked in. Angela, who now realized that the only thing covering her chest was the bandaging TB3 put on the night before, yelped in horror before diving off the bench to retrieve her clothes on the floor. While clutching her torn shirt to her chest,

"Get out!" she yelled, her face was red with embarrassment and fury.

"Why?" he asked smirking at her distressed form

"I'm not presentable! Why do you think?" she snapped, before wrapping her shirt tightly around her upper body.

"That sounds like a personal problem to me." He casually responded. Angela glared dangerously at him, Maul simply brushed the look off.

"TB3!!" Maul called. A minute later, TB3 walked through the door carrying something in her arms.

"Good Morning my Lady." TB3 happily greeted.

"Uh morning..." Angela grumbled

"I had TB3 bring you some provisions since you'll be staying here for a while. I hope they'll be to your liking." Maul gave a quick bow then turned and left the cell before Angela could reply. Angela now turned to TB3, before dropping her shirt to the ground once again.

"What was that all about?" Angela asked raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know my Lady, I've only been told to simply give these to you." TB3 at that moment, walked up to Angela and placed the bundle of things in her arms.

"Now excuse me my Lady, but I must leave. Maul said at some point he will be back soon to retrieve you, I suggest that you hurry and get ready." And with said TB3 also left, leaving a very confused Angela alone. Looking down into her arms, she stared at some soft black material neatly folded up, on top of it was a hair brush.

"What's this?" she wondered. After placing the brush on the bench and gently gripped a side of the cloth, Angela let the rest of the material unfold itself to the floor. As her eyes took in what she held, they widened in shock.

"Dear Lord, is this what I think it is?" she questioned softly; her eyes trailing up and down the black piece of clothing.

"It is." She confirmed; the very same black dress that she wore the first time she dreamt about where she is now. Letting a frustrated sigh out, she dropped the silk gown on the bench in a pile, and she began pacing about her cell.

"what does he want?" she pondered "I swear he's Bi polar. One minute he's pissed off and beating the living day lights out of me, next he's giving me fancy clothes." She spoke out loud. She stopped pacing and stared at the clothing she had tossed aside moments ago.

"Might as well…" she thought. Angela kicked off her flip-flops and stripped off her dirty jeans, dropping them next to her other clothes. Then she picked up the long gown and slid it over her body. The top part of the gown clung tightly to her torso, and the rest of the material flowed out from her hips. Lightly she stroked the X pattern over her hips with her fingers. It fit perfectly; like it was made for her. Now that she was fully dressed in her new outfit, she sat down upon the bench and picked up the hair brush. Swinging her long hair over one shoulder, she brushed it in long, hard strokes. Her hair was tangled and in knots everywhere; by the time she got all the tangles out, and her hair ran down her back in soft waves, her scalp was tingling like crazy. But she now felt some what ok with her appearance. And it was in that moment that Maul decided to barge on in; the cell door hissed opened and he walked in, Angela turned her head to look at him standing in the entrance.

"Well, well ,well….." he started speaking; his eyes taking in Angela. "Look at you. You must be much more comfortable in that than your other clothes." He stated; she nodded,

"It's a nice change." Angela replied, her eyes narrowing at him in resentment.

"Very nice indeed." He added with a smirk. Angela looked away with repulsion.

"Now if you would be so kind as to follow me, we've got some stuff to do." He spun on his heels and left the cell. Angela, not wanting to question him, or his command, rose from the bench, and followed right behind. The floor was cold beneath Angela's bare feet as she trotted along trying to keep up with Maul's quick strides. Her dress rustled quietly with each step she took, and slightly opened at the slit, revealing most of her leg. They traveled back up the spiral staircase and through the long corridor. Maul ended up leading her to another room.

"What's this all about?" Angela asked crossing her arms in suspicion.

"My Master would like to have another word with you." Maul replied before opening the door and heading on in.

"Wonderful.." she grumbled sarcastically before going inside the room as well. After stepping inside, Angela found Sidious sitting on a black throne in the center of the room, Maul was by his side.

"Please Angela, feel free to come closer." Sidious spoke from behind his black hood. Taking a few steps closer, Angela stopped 5 feet from where Sidious sat.

"That's better." Sidious approved with a nod.

"You wanted to see me?" Angela spoke; a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Yes I did. I trust you slept well last night?" he asked.

"Surly that isn't the reason why you brought me here." She questioned. Sidious chuckled.

"No its not, it was just a simple question." He responded.

"Simple and pointless," she spoke glaring at Sidious. He raised his hands up to rest under his chin

"I see you like to get right down to business, I respect that. So have you reconsidered my offer?" he asked, Angela raised an eyebrow at Sidious.

"You mean about being your apprentice? Yeah I've thought about it. And I still stand by what I said before." She replied. Sidious sighed and shook his head before rising from his seat.

"Why must you continue to fight with me on this matter? It would be so much easier to just give in." Sidious spoke while coming to stand right in front of Angela.

"What can I say? I never give up without a fight." She replied; Angela saw Sidious smirk under his hood.

"Another trait I admire about you. You're strong, you have an…..untamable will. You could be great you know Angela, you have so much potential. All you need to do is just submit to the darkside; join me and my apprentice, together we could do great things." Sidious' eyes lighted up as he spoke to her.

"The darkside?" Angela repeated; her voice very uncertain about what that was. Sidious nodded.

"It's what makes a Sith so powerful. It provides unimaginable strength to anyone who's willing to follow down its path." He explained.

"Sith? Is that what you guys are?" her eyes darting from Sidious to Maul.

"Yes." Sidious replied, Maul nodded. Angela shook her head softly before lowering her eyes to the floor.

"I don't know how to respond to this." She murmured quietly.

"Say you'll join the darkside, that's all you have to do." Sidious spoke.

"I….," she started, then sighed in defeat. "What other choice do I have?" she asked before speaking again,

"Alright….." she began, "I'll join you." She whispered.

"Good!" Sidious replied quite pleased with her decision.

"Maul, Take our newest Sith to her chamber. Then prepare her for her training. She starts today." Sidious added.

"You two may go now." He dismissed them both with a wave of his hand. Maul gave a low bow,

"Come Angela." Maul ordered. Angela nodded and followed him out of the room. He led her down a hallway not too far away from the room they just left. They stopped in front of another door.

"This is your personal chamber. This is where you will spend your time when you're not training or taking orders from Master Sidious." Maul began speaking while opening up the chamber door and stepping aside for her to enter. She timidly walked inside, Maul quickly followed behind her. He immediately began giving her a tour of the room.

"The bed's over there," he said pointing to a large canopy bed on the far side of the room, "…over there is the closet, the balcony," he pointed out everything, "and that room over there is the refresher." He finished.

"Interesting name for a bathroom." She thought while looking around the room; which was in fact a very nice room. It was elegant, slightly old-fashioned; it was the type of room that Angela would've wanted as her bedroom in her old home back on Earth.

"Your training begins in about 10 minutes, so I suggest you hurry and prepare for it. It won't be easy." Maul after he finished speaking turned and left, but before he did, he added

"Report to the room you were first brought to. Be on time, Master and I don't like to wait." Then he was gone.

Angela still a little overwhelmed at what was happening, slowly walked over to her closet. Inside was all types of clothing and materials. She found a pair of knee high black leather boots, and pulled those out. Then she rummaged around a bit more and found a black cami, and some shorts with leggings. With her arms full of her "training clothes" she carried her belongings over to her bed and set them down. Then she took off her silk gown and laid it neatly on her bed before picking up her leggings and putting those on, her shorts followed after that, and then came her shirt. Once dressed, she sat down on the bed and pulled her boots on her feet. Now that she was dressed completely, she rose to her feet, and left her room. She followed down the familiar hallway to her left, and made a few turns before entering the room Maul had first brought her to. Upon entering, Angela found Maul engaged in some type of exercise which he stopped performing when he saw her come in.

"Ah good you're here," He stated before coming to stand before her.

"Yeah here I am….now what do we do?" she asked. Maul chuckled.

"Anxious?" he asked while smirking.

"Not really, but once I get this over with the better." She grumbled.

"If you insist." He spoke then took up an unfamiliar stance.

"Maul what on Earth are you doing?" she questioned crossing her arms over her chest.

"Training." He answered. Then in a flash, he jumped into the air, flipped over Angela, and grabbed her arm tightly behind her back.

"Ahh!" she yelled in surprise and at the sudden uncomfortable position she was now in. He twisted it up in a painful manner, and forced Angela to her knees.

"What kind of training is this?" she yelled up at Maul who was grinning down at her.

"It's called hand to hand combat," he answered.

"I thought you said I'm learning the basics." She hissed through her gritted teeth.

"Fighting hand to hand IS basic." he explained.

"I don't know how to fight!!" she snapped.

"A Sith who doesn't know how to fight?? Well then what good are you?" he teased as he released her arm.

"Don't mock me Maul!" Angela's voice was now rising in anger as she stood to her feet.

"Just saying. Well since you don't know how to fight we'll just have to start from the beginning.

"Fine." She grumbled

"Take your stance." He ordered. Angela raised an eyebrow, before taking up what looked like to her a reasonable fighting stance.

"You ready?" he asked before resuming his own stance.

"Bring it!" she told Maul. And so Angela's training began.


	7. Chapter 7: The Transformation

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE TRANSFORMATION:

Maul was right, training was brutal. Angela acquired more bruises in the first two days than she has in her entire 16 years of living. But no matter how much she got banged up during training, she still endured it. Pretty soon, the days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. And with each passing day, Angela discovered skills that she never even knew she had. After 2 months, Angela had mastered many forms of hand to hand combat and acrobatics. She was catching on to things so quickly, Maul or Sidious would mention every now and then on how impressed he was with her progress. In private meetings between Sidious and Maul, they would discuss Angela and her advancement in their arts.

"She has come along way from when she was first brought here my Master." Maul spoke as they walked side by side down a hallway.

"Indeed she has my young apprentice, she has picked up on skills that would normally take years to master. But nonetheless, she still has much to learn." Sidious replied, "Angela is powerful, though she can move like a Sith, she isn't one yet. It's time we introduced her to the full powers of the darkside."

"You think she's ready for that my Master?" Maul asked.

"Ready or not, it's time she reached her full power and become who she was destined to be." Sidious replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~8 months later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Swing low, thrust, block; Angela was in engaged in a very complex exercise with her training lightsaber that she had acquired a few months back. Her saber hummed with each movement she performed, sweat trickled down her forehead. Sidious who sat in a chair off to the side, observed her every move.

"Alright Angela that's enough for today." Sidious spoke from his seat. Angela stopped what she was doing and deactivated her saber.

"You have done well my apprentice, you have almost completed your training, but there are still a few things that you must do first." Sidious spoke.

"What must I do my Master?" Angela asked. Sidious smirked behind his hood.

"It is time that you made your own weapon, your very own saber." He told her. Angela raised an eyebrow at that statement and looked at the one she held in her hands.

"Something wrong with this one Master?" She asked slightly confused. Sidious chuckled.

"No my dear girl, but it has always been a tradition for a Sith to forge their own Saber, so tonight you shall start making yours." He told her. Angela nodded.

"Of course my Master, how long do I have to complete it?" she asked.

"Take as long as you need. Forging a saber takes a while, and it is most crucial that you get it done right the first time." He answered, "I sent Maul to drop off the provisions that you will need for such a task in your chamber, you should find everything you'll need there." He added. "Now go and begin your work. You have much to do." And with that he dismissed her. She bowed low to him before turning on her heel and left the training arena. But before she did, she asked one last question,

"Master?" she asked, looking back to him.

"Yes child?" Sidious responded.

"I can make my saber in any way right? There's no wrong way to do it?"

"Correct. Its your own saber is your own design, the way you make it, from its shape to color is your choice alone." He finished.

Angela nodded and continued on her way to her chamber. Her black boots made a soft clicking noise on the marble floor. Reaching her chamber door, she saw Maul leaving her room and close the door behind him. They met face to face. Maul smirked,

"Have fun making your saber, I'm anxious to see what you come up with." He teased, his eyes challenging her skills, Angela's eyes narrowed,

"You won't be disappointed." She replied then walked on past him and headed inside her chamber closing the door on his face. Though she has tolerated Maul as a teacher, she's never fully warmed up to his presence.

"Alright lets do this." She grumbled before heading over to her bed, which on it sat a huge box. Glancing inside she found many complex looking parts. At the bottom of the box, she found a small case, which she pulled out and set in her lap. She flipped open the lid and stared down on a set of colored crystals. Blue, red, green, orange, purple; Angela found the crystals quite captivating. Gently she picked out the blue one and examined it in her hands; blue had always been a favorite color of hers. The crystal was smooth and nicely cut, it was about 4 inches long. Angela was so lost in the beauty of the crystal she didn't hear TB3 walk in.

"Evening my lady Angela." TB3 greeted. Angela looked up and smiled at the droid.

"Hey TB3." She returned with a smile.

"I heard that you're in the making of your saber." TB3 spoke

"You heard correct, I only wish I knew how to put this together." Angela mumbled.

"The crystal that you hold in your hand is the most important part. It's the power source of the saber. Its also what gives it its color." TB3 explained.

"You place that inside the hilt of your saber." TB3 added.

"Oh I see." Angela spoke as she finally understood.

Angela looked back into the box and stared down upon the many choices of hilts. After looking at a few, Angela realized that though they were nicely made and all, they just weren't something that she would want on her saber. Then an idea came to her.

"TB3, I need you to go get me something." She called.

"Of course my lady what do you need?" TB3 asked.

" I need a hammer, a thick steel board about 3 ½ feet long, and a steel table to work on." She ordered.

"Interesting list my Lady, but I'll go and bring the stuff you have asked for."

"Thank you TB3." Angela replied. TB3 quickly left the room and Angela began her work. She headed over to her fireplace right beside her bed. Grabbing her lighter on top of the mantel, she lit the wood inside, and flames soon engulfed the pieces of wood. Then she searched her room for a iron pot of some sort. She found one in her small kitchen, then brought the pot over to the bed and stuck 3 lightsaber hilts inside. Carrying the pot over to the fireplace, she carefully placed the pot on top of the flames to melt down the hilts to molten metal. Sitting back on her bed, she waited for it to be done; took about 30 minutes before the hilts were completely melted. And once it was ready, TB3 walked back in with her supplies, she ended up bringing Maul along to help her out with the steel board and table. Maul set the table and board down by the foot of Angela's bed.

"I have no idea why you wanted this, and I'm not sure I wanna know." He grumbled before spinning on his heel and leaving the room. Angela rolled her eyes before continuing her work.

"Umm beg pardon my Lady….but uh…why do you need all this?" TB3 asked.

"I'm making my saber." Angela replied walking up to TB3 and held out her hand, "May I see that hammer?" Angela asked.

"Of course my lady!" TB3 responded while placing the hammer into Angela's open hand.

"Thank you." Angela replied before heading back over to the fireplace. "Ok here we go." Angela spoke while using her free hand to levitate the hot metal pot off the fire and onto the steel table. The pot glowed red from the high temperatures, and radiated its heat throughout the room. Once it was secure on the table she turned back towards her bed and picked up the case of crystals; also placing it on the table. Then one by one, Angela picked up the crystals and dropped them into the hot molten metal.

"My Lady what are you doing? You're destroying the most crucial part of your sab…" Angela cut TB3 off.

"Oh no I'm not," Angela replied as she watched all the crystals melt into the rest of the molten metal.

"Right." She spoke, then turned back to the box. Angela looked through all the objects and tools, until she found what she was looking for.

"Aha!" Angela exclaimed. In her hand Angela held a laser pen.

"My lady what are you going to do with that?" TB3 asked while Angela lifted the steel board up onto her bed.

"Hmmm…" Angela mumbled "The board is about 3 inches thick…so," Angela paused and turned on the laser.

"I'll cut 2 inches deep." And with that, Angela began carving a straight line into the center board, from one side all the way to the other, but when she got to the other end, her cut slanted downward, then she repeated the step after measuring 2 inches away from the first cut and the slant on this one went up instead of down.

"My lady in all my years, I've never seen anything like this before." TB3 spoke still very confuse at what Angela was doing., "What is that?" she asked

"It's a molding TB3." Angela responded while tipping the board over and watching the solid part of the cut fall out leaving behind an empty trench like space.

"Molding?" TB3 questioned.

"Yup." Angela confirmed before she picked up the metal piece and use it to stir up the molten metal.

"What do you use it for?" TB3 questioned.

"You use it like this." Angela spoke while she levitated the bowl once more and carefully poured out its contents into the molding. The hot liquid metal hissed against the cool steel.

"Now what?" TB3 asked.

"We wait for the metal to cool down and solidify." Angela explained. So for the 1½ hour that they waited, Angela told stories of her planet to TB3; describing scenery, customs, politics, and about her life growing up.

"Good gracious My Lady, you sounded quite the trouble maker when you were a youngling. " TB3 spoke giggling softly. Angela who was smiling at the memories, nodded her head in agreement.

"I certainly kept my mother and father busy." She spoke.

"Well I think it's time to continue my project." She added while rising from her bed and heading over to the metal table. Carefully, she lifted the metal molding up in both hands and turned it one its side.

"TB3, fetch me a glove or thick cloth of some type." Angela ordered. TB3 quickly set off to the refresher and brought back a towel. After wrapping up her left hand like a glove in the towel, she dumped the molding out into her hand. A long and still red but solid piece of metal came out. Holding down the flat end with one hand, Angela picked up the hammer sitting next to the bowl with her other and began pounding on one side of the metal object.

"What are you doing now my lady?" TB3 asked. Angela kept her eyes focused on her task, and replied,

"Where I'm from, we call this blacksmithing. It's the forging of metal objects of any sorts. In this case, its my blade." She told TB3

"That's your lightsaber?? Doesn't look at all like any other I've ever seen." TB3 observed.

"That's because it's not a lightsaber. It's a saber, a type of sword to be exact. It's a weapon on my planet….though they're not really used anymore." She mumbled.

"My lady I thought you had to make a LIGHTsaber." TB3 questioned.

"No Sidious said a **saber,** and that's what I'm making; only this saber won't be like any other. It looks simple, but if I understood the ways a lightsaber works, the crystals in a lightsaber give it its power and invincibility. So since I have used those crystals as part of my blade, their special properties should allow my saber to hold the same invincibility and be indestructible to any known material, including a lightsaber." Angela clarified.

"That's brilliant!" TB3 praised, "Who would ever have thought of that?" She asked. Angela looked up at TB3,

"A girl with way too much time on her hands." She answered with a smile and a quick wink before flipping her blade over and hammering down the other side. Once that part was done Angela lifted up the blade she had just forged and examined it from top to bottom. It looked good for the most part, a little dull for a blade, and it still lacked a hilt but good nonetheless.

"TB3, fetch me whatever is left in that box on the bed." Angela commanded. TB3 did what she was told. Inside was still many different tools of all types, and a couple extra hilts left. Angela chose a small, simple and plain silver one. And after making a few adjustments to it, she pieced together the blade and hilt. She carefully made sure that the two pieces would fit together perfectly, and stay together permanently. In one day, Angela had finished making her saber; which she soon realized resembled the one from her dream. She smiled proudly at her weapon, then she hooked it at her hip, and left her workstation.

"Where are you going My lady?" TB3 asked.

"I'm going to tell Master Sidious I have completed my task." She replied confidently. "Don't wait up for me." She added before leaving her chamber. Angela tracked down Maul and Sidious inside the training arena, where Sidious was coaching Maul on an exercise. As Angela walked in, both men turned to her. Her saber swung softly at her hip; and once she stood before them, she bowed low to both.

"Master, Maul," she greeted. Sidious gave her a nod.

"Angela." He spoke in acknowledgment; Maul remained silent, his yellow eyes traveled down her body and lingered on Angela's new weapon.

"What is that?" he asked while pointing a finger at it. Angela gripped the hilt with one hand before responding,

"This is my saber." She answered. Sidious raised an eyebrow at her from under his hood; Maul threw his head back and laughed out loud.

'That??!! You call that a weapon?" He mocked, "Wow Angela I had expected more of you." He pushed before he slowly began circling Angela's form.

"My Master," he began, "…gave you strict orders to make a lightsaber." He reminded

"Correction, a Saber Maul, Master never used the word Lightsaber as my task's name, only saber and this," she spoke giving a nod down to her hip, "Is a saber." She finished. Maul grew angry at her boldness; he slowly shook his head in a disapproving manner.

"You dare think that that thing can hold against a fight?" he questioned his eyes narrowing dangerously. Angela's did the same right back. Quick as lightning, Maul whipped out his red lightsaber drew it up in a striking position then brought it hard upon Angela. But Angela was quick, and she too pulled her saber out and used it to block his blow. To Maul's surprise, his lightsaber and Angela's saber connected like they were made from the same material.

"It can, and it does!" Angela hissed softly at his last remark. Angela shoved forward with her blade causing Maul to stagger back; he quickly regained his stance then threw himself at Angela. Angela dodged his attack, then took a swing at his arm. Her dull blade sliced right into his upper arm, leaving behind a nasty cut. He growled in pain, then stared dumbfounded at his wound.

"Enough you two!" Sidious ordered. Maul and Angela stopped their brawl and looked to their Master.

"Yes her weapon may not be a lightsaber necessarily, but if it gets the job done, then fine…" he started, "Secondly, Angela how is your blade able to withstand the blow of a lightsaber?" he asked.

"I used the crystals as a source of a raw molten metal. So it allows my saber to be invincible and indestructible like a lightsaber." She replied.

"Very impressive my child. I've never heard of such a weapon being forged before." He lightly praised.

"Thank you Master." She spoke while bowing her head.

"Kneel Angela." Sidious ordered. Angela looked to him in confusion.

"Master?" she asked quietly.

"Kneel." He repeated. Angela fell silently to one knee; Sidious walked up and placed his hand upon her shoulder.

"You have done well my young apprentice. You have mastered your training, and have successfully completed your task of forging your own personal saber. You are ready to become a Sith." he told her. Angela bowed her head, and closed her eyes as those words left his mouth.

"Embrace the Darkside Angela, and fulfill your destiny." He ordered. Angela felt a cold, numbing sensation sweep over her body, both inside and out.

"Yes,…" Angela spoke firmly, "My Master." She finished and opened her eyes. Her once ocean-colored eyes, now glowed a reddish yellow.

"Good." Sidious spoke, "Very good my young Sith."


	8. Chapter 8: The Mission

CHAPTER 8: THE MISSION

As Angela walked back to her chambers that night, though she was very proud with herself, she couldn't help but feel empty inside. Like something went missing, or had died. Entering her room, she found TB3 cleaning up her workstation. TB3 turned to greet her.

"Ah My lady, you have returned. So was the Master pleased with what you had made?" she asked.

"Very TB3. In fact, he made it official, I'm a Sith." Angela told her.

"Oh My lady, you must be very proud." TB3 happily spoke

"Yes….," Angela started, "…and no…" she murmured.

"What do you mean?" TB3 questioned; TB3 was slightly puzzled at Angela's response.

"I'm mean part of me feels proud and accomplished, but the rest of me feels…….empty and lost…" Angela explained while walking over to the fireplace and placing on the mantle, her saber.

"You're just probably overwhelmed. Becoming a Sith is a big deal." TB3 comforted.

"Yeah, probably…ummm…I'm gonna go take a shower." Angela told TB3 before walking over and entering the refresher. She softly closed the door behind her. Reaching over to the shower stall, she turned on the hot water, and as steam began filling the room, Angela stripped off her black cami, shorts, leggings, and boots; once completely naked, Angela stepped into the running water. A sigh escaped her lips as the hot water melted all her tense muscles away. Grabbing the shampoo bottle on the floor, she poured out some of its sweet smelling contents into the palm of her hand before scrubbing it on her scalp. Suds ran down her neck, back and breasts. Dipping her head back into the water, she rinsed all the soap out before putting on conditioner. After letting the oily substance soak in her hair for a few minutes, she rinsed that out as well. Now that her hair was clean, Angela picked up a smaller bottle next to her shampoo; it was hair removal body wash. She scrubbed some on both her legs then she put a small amount under her arms. After rinsing off everything she had put on her body, Angela turned off the water, grabbed a towel and stepped out. Quickly she dried off her body and wrapped the towel around her torso. Then she opened the refresher door and stuck her head out and called TB3,

"Hey TB3 can you bring me my white nightgown and dressing gown?" She asked shivering softly because of the draft coming into the refresher.

"Of course my Lady, right away." TB3 replied before quickly heading over to Angela's closet and pulling out her clothes. TB3 brought them over to Angela who greatly appreciated having something comfortable brought to her.

"Thank you TB3." She spoke before closing the door once more. Angela tied her long her up in a wet bun, then dropped her towel to the floor before picking up her floor length white nightgown with off the shoulder straps. She slid it over her head and put her arms through the straps that hung off her shoulders, before she pulled the rest of the material down past her formed hips before the material rested at her feet. Then Angela grabbed her matching dressing gown which was slightly see-through, slid her arms into the flowing sleeves and tied the front of it around her stomach. Once Angela was fully dressed, she grabbed her hair brush off the counter by the sink, and left the refresher. Her dressing gown dragged softly behind her as Angela headed over to the balcony. She pulled open the doors and was met by a warm evening breeze rushing into her. Taking a few steps outside, Angela walked over to the railing and sat down on upon it, she swung her legs up on to it and had them lay out flat. Reaching both hands up to her head, she undid her bun and her long wet hair draped down her back, then she gently brushed her smooth hair down before braiding it over her left shoulder. After she finished tying her braid up, Angela brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them before staring out into the late night sky. The moon was full, and the sky was covered in stars. Angela was captivated by the beauty of the night that she never heard her visitors enter her chamber.

"Nice night out." Maul spoke; Angela jumped at his voice and turned to stare at both Maul and Sidious who were making their way to where she sat.

"Uh yeah…its nice." She murmured in agreement.

"Angela," Sidious spoke; Angela looked to Sidious,

"Master?" she replied.

"I have come to you with an important task. A mission if you will." He stated,

"What is it that you need me to do?" Angela asked.

"Maul and I have been planning for sometime now, the return of the Siths my child," He began; Angela raised an eyebrow at that statement, and became very interested.

"A long time ago, the Siths were hunted down and almost annihilated by their enemy the Jedi," he told her. Angela had heard little about the Jedi, but she knew who they were.

"Why?" Angela asked her eyes wide in shock at such news,

'The Jedi and the Sith…..have never once seen eye to eye because the Jedi and Sith have two different ways of life, since the Sith didn't want to join up with the Jedi, the Jedi decided to permanently remove anyone one who stood against them." Sidious lied.

"That's awful, who could do such a thing?" she asked in disbelief.

"The Jedi could." Maul jumped in.

"You see my dear, the Jedi are evil. They only seek power, the power to rule and control all who are weaker than them." Sidious explained.

"But we mustn't let that happen, that is why we need you." Maul added. Sidious nodded.

"We need you to bring peace and balance back to the Republic." Sidious finished.

"I…understand my Master, what must I do?" Angela asked.

"We need you to travel to the planet Naboo, there you shall meet up with the Viceroy of the Trade Federation. He will explain everything else to you once you arrive." Sidious explained; Angela nodded in understanding,

"When do you need me to leave?" she asked.

"Tonight if possible; the sooner you meet with the Viceroy, the sooner our plan can take action." Maul added; Angela once more gave a quick nod of her head before she swung her legs over the railing and hopped to her feet.

"I'll be gone before sunrise." She stated while walking past Sidious and Maul and headed over to her closet where she immediately started pulling out her belongings. First came some short shorts, then her long black gown, cloak, and boots. Angela, with her arms full, turned from the closet and placed her stuff upon her bed.

"I'll go and ready your ship." Sidious spoke before he left her chambers, leaving her and Maul alone together. Maul crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Angela prepare her stuff. Angela could feel his eyes upon her, so without looking up from her now neatly folded pile on her bed, she boldly spoke up.

"If you're hanging around here expecting to see a show or something, you're in the wrong place." Maul chuckled before walking to where Angela stood at by the foot of her bed. She scooped up her belongings in her arms then turned to go get changed in the refresher, but she ended up running into Maul's chest.

"Excuse me Maul, but you're in my way." She spoke while pushing right on past him and walked into the refresher. She closed the door and locked the door behind her before quickly stripping off her night clothes and putting her other outfit on. First she put on her shorts, then her gown, after that she slid her feet into her boots then grabbed her cloak and threw it around her shoulders. Once fully dressed she reopened the refresher door and walked on out. She found Maul sitting on her bed before he rose to his feet at her appearance.

"Making yourself comfortable?" she asked while rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Yes." He casually replied.

Angela shook her head and walked over to the fireplace mantle to retrieve her saber. She reached her hand up but stopped as she realized her saber was no longer there.

"Looking for something?" Maul asked from behind; Angela could here the pleasure he took in messing with her in his voice. Angela turned around to see Maul standing by the foot of her bed, a smirk was on his lips as his hand held tightly to Angela's saber.

"I have no time for your childish games tonight Maul." She spoke her eyes narrowing in warning. Maul who continued to smirk, raised her saber up to his face to examine it closely.

"When I fist saw you walk into the training arena with this," he began, "I honestly thought it was just a worthless piece of scrap metal," he paused for a second before continuing

"….but you proved me wrong. Turns out that this is actually a truly remarkable weapon." He complimented; turning his piercing yellow eyes back onto Angela.

"And what made you come to that conclusion? The fact that it can stand up against a lightsaber, or the fact that it can cut through flesh?" she asked before sarcastically adding, "How's your arm by the way?"

Maul's eyes narrowed at that comment. "It's fine." He replied; his voice started to sound slightly aggravated.

"Oh what a relief!" she answered dramatically.

"Now if you would be so kind as to return my saber, I will be on my way." She offered while extending her hand outward towards Maul. Maul took a few steps closer before he dropped her saber into her open hand.

"Thank you." She replied and slowly turned away from him. His hand reached out and caught her by the arm firmly. She looked back over her shoulder and glared at him.

"Forget something?" she asked. Angela was becoming very irritated with Maul, much more than usual.

"You've grown so much," he started; his eyes tracing her face. Her brows furrowed at the unexpected comment.

"Beg pardon?" she asked.

"When I first brought you here, a little more than 8 months ago, you were but a young, innocent, headstrong girl," he paused then laughed softly before continuing, "…well you're still headstrong, and young, not to mention innocent in some ways, but besides that," he paused again and brought his free hand up to her face and gently brushed it down her jaw, "You have become a fine young woman." Angela's mouth dropped open at that comment, especially since it came from Maul.

"Where are you going with this?" she whispered; Maul smirked softly before releasing her arm.

"Good luck on your mission Angela. I'll be most anxious for your return." He spoke while walking past her and headed to her door. "Once you're back Angela, you can expect me to get close. Very close." He added before leaving her chamber and vanishing from site. Angela's mouth dropped to the floor; a look of pure disgust covered her features,

"Ok that's disgusting, and so not gonna happen!" she spoke out loud before collecting her things and leaving her chamber. Taking quick strides down the hallway, she made her way downstairs and outside to where Sidious had brought a ship. Sidious, who stood a few feet from it, greeted her with a small bow of his head.

"Everything alright Angela? You look flushed in the face. I hope you're not coming down with something." He asked his voice sound a little concerned.

"Oh no Master rest assured I'm in perfect health. I'm just a little…..creeped out." She spoke.

"Maul seems to have taken quite an interest in you." He told her, turning his head to look at her from under his hood.

"Yeah I figured that out, that's what disturbs me." She grumbled. Sidious let out a low chuckle,

"Who knows? Maybe your feelings will change over time." He suggested.

"Uh yeah that's never gonna happen." She firmly responded.

"Well anyway, don't let that get to you; keep your mind focused on the mission. We can't afford this to fail." Sidious warned.

"Of course Master." Angela replied with a small nod of understanding.

"Well off you go. You've got quite a journey ahead of you tonight. May the darkside of the force guide you my apprentice." Sidious said his farewell then stood back to watch Angela take flight. The ship Sidious choose for her to use was what they called a starfighter. It was considered to be one of the faster ships that they possessed. The hood of the ship slid open and Angela jumped into the pilot seat. She buckled herself up tightly before she began working with the controls. Sidious' voice came into the ship from a radio,

"Angela, I have already put the coordinates into the ships archive, once in space switch to autopilot and the ships controls shall take you to your destination." The ship went quiet after his last instruction.

"Right, lets do this." She murmured out loud before taking hold of the control and pulled the ship off the ground. She flicked a few switches, pulled up on the controls, and took off into the sky. Angela's stomach dropped at the sudden speed change, but she quickly adjusted to the feeling. Once Angela got the ship past the planet's atmosphere, and entered the dark abyss known as space, she quickly switched to autopilot like Sidious had instructed her to do. The ship made a quick turn, then began picking up speed. Angela who felt a stronger feeling pull on her stomach told her what was happening next.

"Prepare for light speed." She told herself, and once those words left her lips, the ship took off into the lights.


	9. Chapter 9: The Plan

CHAPTER 9: The Plan

The ship, after traveling in light speed for almost an hour and a half, suddenly came to a stop, almost sending Angela into the headboard had it not been for her seat belt. Angela looking out through her window got her first look at the planet known as Naboo. Her eyes widened in awe at the astounding beautiful planet. With its blue atmosphere, and green landforms, it reminded Angela of her home planet Earth. A sad smile came across her lips but she quickly brushed that off and focused on her task. Turning to her computer, she glanced at the radar and found where she was needs to go to. After sending the coordinates to the autopilot, the ship soon directed itself to its destination. Took only another ten minutes after that to find it and land the ship properly. The Autopilot landed the ship inside a forest; the tall trees hid the starfighter completely.

After the ship's door slid open once more, Angela stood to her feet, and jumped out. Her boots landed on the soft squishy ground, her cloak flowing out behind her; remembering what the radar had shown, Angela took off deeper into the forest, heading South. Grabbing her hood from behind her neck, she pulled it up and over her head, shielding her face from view. Her saber swung softly at her hip with each stride she took; she walked for about 10 minutes before coming upon a small clearing where she found a much larger ship resting. Taking a deep breath in, she continued advancing to where the ship lied. Once she had just a couple yards away left to cover, the ship's door lowered to a ramp, and to very tall figures dressed in robes descended on out. Angela hid deeper behind her hood, not because she was intimidated, but because she wanted to seem intimidating. The tall figure dressed in a red robe was the one to greet her.

"Ah, My Lady, it does us much honor for you to meet with us on such a short notice." He bowed in respect; Angela returned the gesture with a simple nod of her head.

"I take it you're the one I've been sent to meet with?" she asked; then one in red confirmed her question with a nod.

"Yes. I am the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, this," Viceroy stated while pointing to his companion, "…is my advisor." The other figure dressed in a dark grey robe, bowed to Angela as well.

"My Lady, we look forward to working with you." He stated before rising to his full height.

"Likewise." Angela responded.

"Please, let us go inside, we have much to discuss." The Viceroy suggested politely; Angela nodded and replied

"After you." The Viceroy and his Advisor led their way back into the ship; Angela was just a few steps behind. The Viceroy brought her into a small secluded room. Bookshelves lined the walls. Angela surprised at her surroundings asked

"You have a library on here?" her eyes wide in shock.

"Yes, sometimes we have to travel to far away systems and we need a way of amusing ourselves." The advisor explained.

"Ah I see.." Angela replied.

"Speaking of which, how was **your** journey My Lady?" The Viceroy asked.

"Pleasant." She quickly responded before she went and sat down in a chair towards the center of the room. The Viceroy and his Advisor soon joined her.

"Now let's get down to business." Angela ordered before leaning back against her chair.

"But of course." Viceroy replied, "For a year or so, your master and I have been planning the take over of this planet. I have a droid army in the making and it should be ready within another 6 months," he began, before he could continue Angela jumped in,

"You plan to take over this entire planet?" she asked; in her mind so many things were running through.

"Yes." The Advisor confirmed.

"How do you plan to do that? She questioned, leaning forward in her chair resting her hands beneath her chin.

"We shall order their new Queen to sign a treaty with us; giving us complete control over the planet. If she refuses, we shall form a blockade around the entire planet of Naboo; no one shall enter, no one shall leave. All their communications shall be shut down. If the Queen still refuses to sign our treaty, we shall send in our droid army and take the planet by force." The Viceroy finished explaining.

"It's a well devised plan." She commented, "….but tell me Viceroy, such a plan has to come at a cost, what will be lost to such an arrangement?" Angela asked

"I do not think I understand your question My Lady." The Viceroy responded.

"Will the people of this planet be harmed in anyway?" she questioned. The Viceroy and Advisor glanced at each other for a second before looking back to Angela.

"There is always a possibility that someone could get hurt in such a situation My Lady." The Viceroy replied.

"I am quite aware of that Viceroy but understand, if you start hurting the people, I can promise you that somehow word will get out and the Senate shall send reinforcement to take you down. By the way you are putting this; you make it sound like you will use the people as bait to force the Queen into signing over the planet." Angela stated her voice rising in anger at the thought of innocent people suffering.

"That is correct My Lady. Once the Queen sees how many of her people are suffering and dying she will have no choice but to sign the treaty." The Viceroy stated sophisticatedly. Angela could not believe what she was hearing.


	10. Chapter 10: the Truth Turns the Tables

CHAPTER 10: Learning the Dark Truth, and turning the tables 

"That's sadistic! How could you want to go through with that?" she asked rising from her seat.

"Your master has promised us an alliance with the Sith if we help him execute his plan." The Viceroy responded hesitantly.

"My Master?" she repeated, her voice rising in fury. "What are you talking about?" she questioned, her yellow eyes glowed bright with rage. The Viceroy and his Advisor quickly glanced at each other before the advisor spoke up.

"Did you not know? This was your Master's idea. It's his plan." He stated.

"We are simply helping it along." The Viceroy added.

"Enough!"she snapped, "I have heard enough," she spoke through her gritted teeth. Without another word, Angela quickly left the room and exited the ship.

"Why do I get the feeling I've been misled?" she thought to herself. As she descended the ship's ramp, her master's words echoed in her head.

"They are evil, they seek only power; Power to rule and control all those weaker than them." Angela shook her head and took off sprinting back into the forest to her ship. She ran nonstop and once there, she knew that she needed to find some answers because now she was questioning everything she was ever told. Immediately she hopped into her ship and began her search. She typed into the computer the word "Sith" to search the ship's entire archive about them. Her search was successful; more than 1000 files were found. Angela began reading through,

"Ok," she before reading out loud, "The Sith, who started out as normal people but were sadly corrupted by (what only a few understand as) the darkside of the force, are known to be one of the deadliest and most feared figures throughout the galaxy. They lust after power and can kill hundreds of innocent people in cold blood without the slightest feeling of guilt. A Sith, luckily hasn't been spotted for hundreds years on account of them being tracked and brought down by a Sith's number one foe; The Jedi. The Jedi, the figures of the light, who have sworn oaths to protect the people of the Republic and keep peace and balance in the galaxy, are the only ones capable of taking a Sith down…." Angela's voice trailed off and she stopped reading.

"This whole time…," she whispered, "I joined up with…" she paused; then suddenly became filled with rage.

"He lied to me!!" she spoke out loud. Quickly strapping herself in her seat, she started the ship. Gripping the controls tightly in anger, she pulled the ship off the ground, and sent it off into the sky. Once reentering space, she switched autopilot back in, reversed the coordinates, and set off in light speed, back to Sidious' palace. Angela's rage was so great, that the 2 hour journey felt only like 5 minutes, and she never noticed the ship leave light speed and come to a stop. Angela looked out to "_**her" **_planet, took controls and flew into the atmosphere. Once the huge palace was insight, Angela quickly landed in an open lot not too far from the palace; the lot was located right behind the palace. Pushing a button, the ships door slid back with a hiss and Angela fumbled with her buckle for a few seconds before freeing herself and rose to her feet. She swung herself over the ship, and landed on her feet.

"Unbelievable!" she swore, mentally kicking herself while she stomped off to enter the palace.

"I can't believe I never figured it out before. How could I have been so blind?" she mumbled under her breath. Angela's quick strides led her right back to her chambers. She didn't even want to think about Maul and Sidious, let alone cross paths with them at this moment. What she needed was to seclude herself from everything and just cool down. She roughly pulled open the door to her chamber and slammed it shut behind her with all her might. Angela was surprised that door didn't crack, or rip off its hinges. Once inside she paced about her entire room; her mind full of thoughts and emotions. She brought her left hand up to her mouth and bit down softly on her thumb; when she lowered her hand from her mouth, her eyes landed on her mark. Her right hand came up and covered up the haunting and mysterious symbol that had changed her life.

"What if becoming a Sith is my destiny…." She softly murmured. It was in that moment that for first time in months Angela remembered her family. Her smiling parents, and her lovable sisters, all those happy memories came flooding back to her. A single tear slid down Angela's cheek;

"If they could see me now," she thought shamefully, "…they wouldn't have wanted me to become this…" She brushed away the tear;

"For 8 months I have blindly let 2 men control and tell me what my destiny was to be, well…" and with a nod of her head she decided,

"From now on, I'm making my own destiny!"


	11. Chapter 11: Getting a Little Too Close

Chapter 11: Getting a little too close:

"I think it's time to make a new destiny." Angela told herself and added softly, "…..alone."

Angela turned around, and quickly headed over to her still-opened closet and began removing a few pieces of clothing like her night clothes and a few simple gowns that she wore every now and then when she didn't train. On a shelf above her head, she reached up and pulled down an average-sized bag; which she would use to carry her belongings. She tossed all the clothes she was taking onto her bed, including the bag, then she spun on her heel and headed over to the refresher to retrieve her hair brush, tooth brush, tooth paste, shampoo and conditioner. With her arms full a second time, she left the refresher and headed back over to her bed; dropping some stuff from her arms, she picked up the bag with one hand and began placing things inside it. She neatly folded her clothes to save room, but even with everything packed into the bag, she still had plenty of space to spare. Thinking about what else she may need on her journey, she turned back to the closet and pulled out a small, light blanket. Once that was inside the bag as well, she figured that was all she would really need.

"I'm going to have to travel light anyways." She told herself before sealing her bag up tightly. Standing back, she gazed down onto the bag and bit her lip,

"I can't believe I'm doing this again, I must be out of my mind." She grumbled as she could very well remember what had happened the last time Angela tried to leave. But the fear of pain didn't have effects on her anymore; after living with two Siths for almost a year, you learn to take pain hard and deal with it in silence, your body becomes almost numb to it.

Angela felt something deep inside her, telling her that what she was doing was right, and it left her somewhat joyful at the thought of finally leaving for good.

"I'm finally getting out." She spoke softly; a smile spreading across her lips. Looking over her shoulder, Angela eyed the door

"Mmmm…" she debated silently in her mind, "…no I'd never be able to sneak past Sidious, maybe Maul, but not Sidious," she paused to look around the room for another way out; her eyes landed on the balcony. Angela confirmed her decision with a nod of her head.

"I'll go out the back." She whispered while slinging her bag over her left shoulder. Wasting no time, she quickly marched over to the balcony's door and pushed it open. Stepping close to the railing, she gazed down below, checking to see how far she would have to drop and where she'd drop to. It looked to be about a 10 foot drop down to nothing but grass.

"Ok." She murmured before she began to hop the railing. Bracing her arms against the banister, Angela was preparing to swing her body over and off, but before she could, her chamber door swung open unexpectedly and Maul walked in. Angela quickly spun around and dropped her bag from her shoulder to the floor; she softly kicked it aside. Maul approached her with a small grin across his face.

"I knew I had sensed your presence, you're very easy to detect." He began, "So, you've returned from your mission. You came back a lot quicker than I had thought. I trust everything went wel….." he voice trailed off. His yellow eyes that were staring intently on Angela now rested on the bag she had dropped at her feet. They looked back up to Angela and stared her down.

"Going somewhere?" he asked suspiciously; his yellow eyes narrowed softly.

"My business is my own." She replied; her voice low in warning. Maul straightened up a bit and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Is it now?" he questioned; Angela nodded

'I don't need to explain myself to you." She defensively answered.

"Hmmm…" he mumbled, almost like he was considering her answer. Slowly, Maul lowered his arms from his chest and advanced toward Angela. His steps were quick and Angela, who wasn't expecting such a move, quickly retreated back until her lower back was pressed against the railing of the balcony. She gasped at the solid feeling of something behind her and glanced over her shoulder at the banister; she was cornered. Looking back toward Maul, she found him but a few feet from her.

"Why do you run from me Angela?" he asked innocently, "I'm not going to hurt you." He assured before taking a few steps closer. His yellow eyes stared intensely on her face before they began to roam tracing and eyeing the rest of her body; the type of attention Maul was giving her made Angela feel small. She squirmed softly under his gaze, becoming uncomfortable with his presence. Maul reached a hand out and hooked it behind Angela's neck; she tensed up, his hand was cold. She nervously swallowed.

"Angela," he spoke, "I know that we've had some..rough times in the past," he began but Angela quickly jumped in.

"Maul I have a pretty good idea on where this whole thing is going, and I think its best if you just forget it." She firmly told him. Angela tried to push her way past him, but Maul quickly caught her by the arms and pushed her back into the railing. Sighing in annoyance, she looked him hard in the eyes,

"What do you want Maul?" she irritably asked; a lustful glint lit up in his yellow eyes, he brought his face close to hers.

"You." He replied his voice low and possessive. Maul suddenly leaned his head down to crush his lips against Angela's. Seeing his motive she quickly turned her head away, but his lips still landed on her neck. Angela gasped in horror and shock; Maul pressed his body against Angela's.

"No!" she ordered before shoving him off her; making him stagger back a few feet. Once out of his grasp, she maneuvered around him and headed toward the far side of her room. She turned to face him.

"I think you better get out now!" she warned; Maul laughed before he slowly stalked up to Angela menacingly.

"Why?" he asked, a smirk upon his lips as he kept moving closer.

"I know what you're thinking Maul, so don't you dare touch me!" she ordered; Maul shook his head before he replied sarcastically,

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"I'm so serious Maul, keep your distance!" her voice rose with each word. Maul continued moving in, his hands reaching out to grab Angela.

"Don't touch me!" she repeated taking a few steps back. Maul suddenly charged at Angela, grabbing her tightly by her upper arms. Angela struggled and pulled away but that had very littler use.

"Let go!" she cried; his grip tightened, and he began to guide her backwards. Stumbling over her feet, trying to keep her balance while fighting him off, Angela asked,

"Maul what are you doing?" her voice sounded a little frantic. Maul remained silent as he persistently kept forcing her backwards. The back of Angela's knees hit something solid behind her, while she took a second to glace over her shoulder at her she had come into contact with, Maul roughly shoved himself against her, and Angela lost her balance.

"AHHH" she screamed softly as she fell back onto her bed, Maul falling on top of her. His weight upon her small form knocked the wind out of her; before she could recover, Maul pinned her hands down by her head, and he slowly straddled her hips.

"Maul get off me!" she cried. Maul leaned down and began running kisses down her neck and above her breasts. Angela squirmed and bucked her hips, tying to get him off, but nothing seemed to work. Angela squeezed her eyes closed tightly trying hard to block out what was happening. Maul brought both of Angela's hands high above her head, and held them both down with one of his own; his other hand was free to roam Angela's body. He stroked her waist then moved down to her hip before he reached down to her leg, the one that was exposed by her slit in her gown. He caressed her calve, then stroked up, going past her knee and thigh; when Angela felt his hand slide closer to a very private area of hers, she was filled with fury and disgust.

"Enough!" she screamed then with all the strength and will power she contained, she focused her thoughts on Maul then jerked her head to the side. Maul was sent flying off the bed. Now that Angela was free, she quickly sat up and jumped to her feet, balancing herself on top of the mattress. She reached a hand out toward Maul, flicked her wrist, and sent him flying across the room and into the wall on the opposite side of Angela's room. Maul smacked his head hard against the solid barrier, so when Angela finally released him from her force hold, he laid unconscious, slumped against the wall.

Not wasting another second, Angela ran over and grabbed her bag, slinging its straps over her shoulders; then she turned and dashed onto the balcony, hopping on the railing. Angela quickly braced herself, then leaped into the air. Her landing was surprisingly light, and once her feet were secured and stable on the ground, she took off sprinting into the far grounds surrounding the palace; heading back towards the old forest. This time however, Angela was sure that she would get away this time. And so on and on she went; not stopping once to catch her breath. By the time Angela had gotten deep into the familiar forest, her legs and chest felt like they were on fire; so Angela brought her pace down to a slow jog. For the entire day, Angela kept moving, from the time the sun was high in the sky, to the time it had set beyond the horizon. Once the moon had risen up in the black sky, Angela felt exhaustion take over her body; she began stumbling over her feet, and her vision started to blur. Once she had traveled late into the night, she at last stopped in a clearing. A defeated sigh escaped her lips before she collapsed onto the forest's ground unconscious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Back At The Palace~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maul's horned-head was bowed in shame as he kneeled before Sidious who was seated on his throne.

"Honestly Maul, don't you know anything about women??" Sidious rebuked; his low scratchy voice dripped with irritation.

"I am sorry my Master, I had lost control…." Maul apologized.

"Haven't you ever heard of the word _Courting_? Perhaps you should try that next time!" Sidious snapped; Maul cringed at his master's anger.

"Shall I go after her and bring her back?" Maul asked; Sidious was silent as he thought about that for a few moments.

"No," Sidious replied, "We still have much to plan and do. Chasing after a naïve young woman isn't going to be part of our plan. But do not worry my young apprentice; Angela **will** come back to us in time." Sidious assured; Maul nodded his head at his master's word.

"You can run now Angela, but you can't hide. I will find you, and you will be mine!" Maul thought quietly in his mind.


	12. Chapter 12: Time To Start A New Life

Chapter 12: Time to start a new life:

Angela opened her eyes and was greeted by the bright light of the sun. She groaned and slowly sat up. She had spent the night on the ground, and her body was killing her.

"Gotta…..keep…..moving." she mumbled as she pulled herself to her feet. She looked around the area she had rested in before heading north. Angela walked for about 10 minutes before she passed through a couple of trees, and stood on the edge of the forest. Right in front of her, was a flat plain, and in the center was a clear blue lake. Trudging up to the shore of the lake, she kneeled down and scooped up some water into her hands and splashed in on her face. Her eyes snapped open,

"Woah! Ok that was cold!" she complained; and shivered softly as some extra water ran down her neck. Looking at her reflection in the water Angela thought that perhaps she should change her attire. She flung her cloak off her shoulders, kicked her feet out in front of her, she pulled off her knee-length boots and unhooked her saber and set them aside; then she pulled her black gown up and over her head, now the only clothing she wore was a strapless bra and her shorts. Reaching inside her bag, she removed the gown her hands first touched; it was a teal-blue, ankle length gown with sleeves that flowed out at the elbows. After putting that gown on, and tied it up in the back, she picked up her discarded clothing and placed them back into the bag; she also put away her boots.

"They'd clash with the dress…" she murmured. Now the only thing that would seem to cause a problem was her saber,

"uh……what do I do with this??" she asked herself while picking up her saber. She looked over at her bag.

"That might work…" she considered while she slid the blade her saber all the way down to the bottom of bag, the only part that showed was the hilt.

"Ha ha! I'm a genius!" she exclaimed with a small smile.

"Well best keep moving, I gotta find a way to get off this blasted planet." She told herself. She hauled herself to her feet and continued on her way; taking quick, smooth steps.

"Surly civilization can't be too far around here." She spoke out loud; and she was right. She walked for about an hour or so before she came caught her first glimpse of a society. She quickened her pace in excitement; once she got close enough to it, Angela realized that what she was heading to was a small, isolated town. As she entered the bustling streets, crowded with all sorts of living beings, she made her through till she got to what looked like a loading dock of many ships. A man with a clipboard in one hand stood right by one of the massive transports.

"Uh excuse me…Sir?" she called over to the man who turned to her with a small smile.

"Ah hello young missy, how can I help you?" he politely asked.

"Can you tell me where these transports are heading to?" she asked.

"Well that depends on your destination, where you headed?" he lifted his clipboard up to his face.

"Uh….," she answered hesitatively; she could only think of one name, "Naboo."

"Ah a lovely planet," he murmured quietly, "...this particular transport behind us just so happens to be heading there, you best get yourself on board, it will be taking off shortly." He replied; Angela gave the man a smile

"Thank you." She spoke while walking past the man and ascended up the ramp leading inside the ship.

It was quite crowed when she entered, but she managed to find a seat in the far back by a window. After dropping her bag from her shoulders, she gently kicked it under her seat and sat down, leaning back in the soft chair. Angela closed her eyes, feeling so at peace and relaxed; a voice suddenly came over an intercom. Angela opened one eye,

"Welcome ladies and gentleman of all species. We would like to thank you all for choosing to travel with us today, if you all would be so kind as to take a seat, we shall take off. Our destination arrival will be in about 3 hours." The voice turned off, and just they were asked, but quietly sat down. Within a few minutes the ship began to rumble and shake, and the quick dropping feeling inside Angela's stomach told her that they had left the ground. She settled back into her seat; enduring the rough part of the journey; but once they had left the atmosphere, things went more smoothly.

"I can't believe it…." Angela thought to herself, "…after 8 months of hell, I'm finally free." A smile played across her lips. Angela once again closed her eyes, and slowly fell asleep, that small smile remained on her face for the entire journey. When Angela opened her eyes again, she was on the planet Naboo. Everyone else had already collected their belongings and had left; Angela was the last person to get off. With her bag back upon her back, she left the ship and stepped out into the busy streets of Naboo. People and all sorts of living beings were hustling about, Angela followed the flow of them until she came to stop at a fairly large building. Next to it read a sign, _**The Red Bantha Inn. **_Angela quickly entered the building; and a droid rolled out to greet her.

"Ah welcome Miss, welcome! How can I help you?" the droid, who looked to be male, asked.

"Uh yes…umm how much is a room here?" she asked; suddenly remembering that she doesn't have any money, Angela realized that that could cause some issues.

"For one night, thee credits." He responded.

"Dang!" Angela swore inside her mind, before simply replying "Oh."

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"Well you see sir, I had to leave my uh….home…unexpectedly for catastrophic reasons…." She lied carefully, "…and I lost everything I owned."

"Oh my! You must be one of those River Folk from the South aren't you?" he asked, "I had just heard the terrible news about the raiding down there, I am most sorry for your lost." He answered solemnly

"Do not worry about paying. Come, I'll show you to your room." He spoke before he turned about and headed down a hallway, Angela, though very confused at the sudden change in attitude, followed just a few steps behind.

"That blasted Yvad Jenos and his maggoty crew, ugh! Someone ought to lock that menace up, better yet, string him up the nearest tree." The droid boldly spoke, "He's been terrorizing the citizens on Naboo for almost two months, raiding, killing, not to mention imprisoning the poor defenseless people." he spoke softly before adding, "what a tragedy."

Angela nodded her head. "Indeed; makes me wonder why no one has been able to stop him yet." She answered, becoming quite interested in the man known as Yvad.

"Oh he's a tricky one; many men have tried taking him down, but he's like smoke…" the droid conversed,

"Smoke?" Angela repeated, the droid nodded his head.

"Yes, you can see him, but you can't catch him, he slips right on through your fingers. It's like he's unstoppable." The droid stated. He soon stopped right outside a door and turned to Angela,

"Well here's your room Miss, I hope you enjoy your stay here; be sure to rest a lot, you must've been through some frightening events lately." The droid laid a comforting hand on Angela's shoulder before spinning on its wheel and rolled off.

"You have no idea!" she grumbled under her breath before and opened the door in front of her and walked inside.


	13. Chapter 13: The Hunt is on

CHAPTER 13: The Hunt is on

She softly closed the door behind her and locked it, not wanting to be disturbed. The she slowly took her time to stroll around her room; a bed with a nightstand rested on one side, a refresher room right across from it, on the other side was small couch with a hologram in front of it. The room color was a deep green, emerald almost; the floor beneath her bare feet was a soft, plushy dark brown carpet.

"This room's kinda cute." She noted while dropping her bag to the floor. She waltzed over to her bed and sat down; on the nightstand next to her, rested a newspaper. She reached a hand over and picked it up. Her eyes scanned over its front page:

"He strikes again!"

Once more the infamous, maniacal Yvad Jenos struck a small town just outside the planets capital. This is the 5th time this month Yvad and his crew of bandits have attacked. Killing 6 men, injuring 8 and enslaving 4, Yvad has become Naboo's most wanted criminal. A large reward is being offered to whoever brings this madman down; dead or alive.

Angela set the paper down next to her and she bit her lower lip in thought; her eyes slowly traveled across the room and landed on her bag. Her saber's hilt that stuck out through the top, simply sat inside her bag, waiting patiently.

"Hmmm….." Angela thought, she was getting ready to head over and retrieve her saber when her conscious kicked in.

"Oh no! I know what you're thinking and that's out of the question!" it spoke, "You came here to start a new life, not to go chasing after bandits and criminals. Leave that to professionals."

"I was trained to be a Sith. You can't get any more professional than that." She argued

"You'll blow your cover! Sidious and Maul are probably still looking for you; won't be hard to track you down if you start going all heroic." It replied.

"So I'm taking a few risks, big deal, I know how to keep a low profile; plus I've got the skills to take this guy down, which is more than what these people have, and besides, it's the right thing to do. What's life with out a little risk anyways?" At that thought, her conscious went silent, and Angela got off her bed and headed over to her bag. Her hand closed around her saber's hilt and she slowly pulled it out; with a tender hand, she ran her fingers down the long shiny silver blade. It felt so smooth and cold beneath her touch: it sent tiny chills down her spine. Holding her saber carefully in both hands she moved gracefully over to the couch and sat down: lifting her legs up onto the couch, she propped herself up on the arm of the couch and laid her saber in her lap.

"I've got to think of a plan if I'm gonna do this….." she murmured to herself, her brows furrowed deep in thought.

"My black gown, boots, and cloak will work fine for the most part. But I'm going to need something a little……extra to keep my identity hidden…..how on earthy am I gonna do this?" she asked herself. Not being able to come up with anything, Angela shook her head then sat up a bit and leaned over to turn the hologram on. Angela began browsing through its pictures.

"Ugh! Soap operas, pod racing….weather channel? Come on, something interesting has to be on." She grumbled quietly; one of the holograms showed the preparation of a celebration, Angela paused to observe what was going on. A droid dressed like a news reporter showed up on the hologram.

"Everyone is all wound up for the upcoming Masquerade Festival held in honor for Naboo's Queen, who after having ruled for 4 glorious years, is sadly resigning..." Angela raised an eyebrow.

"So grab a mask and come join the celebration! Nothing is more exciting than a masquerade; fool your friends, family, or simply hide your face so the world will never find you." The droid happily chuckled before pulling a mask up to his own face,

"Hope to see you there!" the droid finished speaking, and Angela flicked the hologram off before she slowly sat back against the couch; a devious smile tugged at one of the corners of her mouth.

"Hide your face so the world will never find you…." She quoted. Gently setting aside her saber, she jumped to her feet and walked back over to her bed. Sitting down on the side closest to the nightstand she reached a hand out to a small box. A single red button rested on top of the bus; pushing the button down with one finger, and spoke firmly into the box.

"Sir? Are you there?" she asked and waited patiently for a response; after a few seconds the droid's familiar voice spoke up.

"Yes miss, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"Is it possible for me to place an order for a particular item?" she asked.

"Oh yes of course it is, what is it that you need?" he politely asked.

"A Black Silk Mask." She replied; her devious smile still remained on her lips.

"Oh you plan on going to the masquerade! Wonderful!" he exclaimed, "I shall personally se to it that you get your mask in a little while." The droid cheerfully promised.

"Thank you." Angela spoke before removing her finger from the machine. She laid back on her bed, bringing her arms up to rest behind her neck; Angela let out a deep sigh. In her mind all sorts of plans and ideas were running through her mind; she has her outfit put together, but she had another issue on her hand.

"Now where am I gonna find Yvad and his little crew?" she asked herself while once again, biting her lip. After a few seconds, she released her lip and gave a soft shrug and answered herself out loud.

"Guess I'll just have to do it the old fashioned way; track and hunt him down." Angela's devious smile once again appeared on her face and she giggled softly to herself.

"This is gonna be fun." She murmured quietly; a feeling of excitement began growing deep within Angela.


	14. Chapter 14: Encountering a New Enemy

Chapter 14: Encountering a new Enemy

Just as the droid had promised, he brought Angela her mask by the end up of day. It was perfect! It corresponded with the rest of her black attire ideally. When she tried it on for the first time it felt weird to have something cover her face, but it made her appearance completely unrecognizable. Angela then spent the next few days locked in her room, doing her research. She reviewed the news, newspaper, articles; anything that had to do with Yvad.

Angela sat cross-legged on her bed, dozens of papers scattered all over it. Angela was making notes on a sheet of paper.

"Yvad's last attack was 5 miles South from the capital….." she pondered, "……the capital is…13 miles from here…" Angela scribbled some more notes down on the sheet of paper before she began sketching a detailed map.

"If Yvad's last attack was here," she mumbled tapping her finger on a particular spot, "…..then Yvad has to be residing in an 8 mile distance from here….." Angela's voice trailed off and she quickly rechecked her calculations.

"13…5….yeah 8." She confirmed, "…meaning Yvad has to be around," she paused and stared hard at her hand drawn map before pointing a finger on a specific spot where she was positive Yvad and his crew were located at.

"I'm going to have to act quickly." She spoke while uncrossing her legs and instantly jumped to her feet. She walked over to the couch where she had previously laid out her black outfit; Angela quickly took off her other clothes before dressing in her black ones. First came the black shorts, then the gown, boots, and cloak. Grabbing her saber she hooked it onto her left hip; the last thing that remained was her black mask. She lifted it up and secured it firmly on her face; the mask covered her forehead and stopped right on top of her cheek bones. Besides the two holes in the mask for Angela's eyes, there was only one other open space and that was for her nose. Angela, once dressed and ready to go, quickly packed up the rest of her belongings in her bag, and slung the bag on her back. She looked over to a window resting on the far side of the room; Night had just fallen, the sky was dark and empty. Angela walked over to the window and pushed it open before she silently climbed out. Once her boots touched the ground, she pulled her hood up and over her head and took off down the street at a fast walking pace.

"I'm going to need some sort of Transportation." Angela stated in her head. A distant neigh reached Angela's ears and she traced the sound to a fenced-in-stable.

"This could work." She murmured quietly. Her eyes scanned over the fenced-in-stable and landed on a whit horse that was quietly out in the pen grazing. Raising a hand up in the direction of the horse, Angela firmly spoke.

"Come." She softly ordered; the horse stopped its grazing and slowly walked up to Angela. To Angela's luck it was still saddled up and reigned. Angela waved her hand,

"I need your help." The horse turned to its side, giving Angela permission to hop on its back. Without another word, Angela climbed onto the fence and jumped on the horses back; taking hold of the reigns as soon as she had secured herself,

"Let's go! Hya!!" she commanded, nudging the horse in its side with the heel of her boot. At the command, the white horse took off into a fast cant, and Angela steered the horse to jump the stable's fence; she leaned in close to the horse's neck as the horse leaped high into the air. Once the horse had covered the fence, Angela led the horse through the town before taking off into the night to find Yvad. Angela had left early into the night, 8 miles would be a long journey on horseback, and if she was going to complete her task, it would have to be under the night sky. She rode nonstop for 2 full hours; but just as Angela had predicted, Yvad had made camp exactly where she had mapped it out. From a distance, Angela could make out a few details about the camp, like the two glowing fires and the 8 separate tents set up around the area. She pulled back firmly on the reigns when she lied just a few yards away outside the camp; the horse immediately came to a stop. Swinging her leg over its back, she silently dismounted; Angela dropped her bag from her shoulders and quickly hooked its straps onto the horse's saddle before she took a few steps away. She held up a hand

"Wait here," she ordered quietly, "This shouldn't take long." She whispered. The horse laid down silently, and Angela quietly entered the camp, taking slow, soft steps. Angela looked all around, not one bandit could be seen moving about.

"Everyone must be asleep." She noted while observing the rest of camp. Eight tents were set up, seven of them smaller then one tent in particular.

"The bigger one must be Yvad's." she thought to herself as she carefully stalked up to it. Angela who was getting ready to charge inside and take him out while he slept, froze as her eyes landed on something else. On one side of Yvad's tent rested what looked like a wheeled cage, and inside it rested the four prisoners; two men, a woman and a young boy who looked no older than 12. Angela turned away from the tent and walked over to the cage. Reaching a hand up to the door she jingled its handle; locked. The noise made the young boy stir and wake up. Slowly he sat up and rubbed his eyes before he stared puzzled at the young women outside the cage dressed in black; Angela stared back not making any movements or sounds.

"Who are you?" he asked

"I'm here to help." She replied her voice barely a whisper.

"You're here to save us?" he cried happily while jumping to his feet and running up to the metal bars keeping him inside.

"SSsshh!" Angela hushed, but now the rest of the people had awoken from their sleep. The boy ran and clung to the woman who had just pulled herself to her feet.

"Mom, Mom, look! That lady's here to rescue us!" soon the caged wagon arose in many pleading voices.

"Oh please help us!", "Save us!!"

"Get us outta here!"

The people cried.

"I will if you guys shu…." Angela froze in midsentence as another voice stepped in.

"What's going on out there?" a rough voice called from one of the tents.

"…….shut up…." Angela grumbled while closing her eyes and she boldly turned to face the man who spoke. A large man immerged from one of the smaller tents, his eyes landed on Angela who was glaring dangerously at him.

"Hoy! What are you doing there?" he inquired his eyes narrowed suspiciously at Angela and her masked appearance. Angela rolled her eyes at the question and sarcastically replied,

"I'm scoping the real estate. What does it look like I'm doing?" she paused taking a few defensive steps toward the bandit, "By the way, this isn't a good place to run your _business_, it's too open, anyone can just walk on in," she spoke, grinning softly.

"Oh smart mouth are you? Well maybe I need to teach you a few lessons." He pulled from his side what looked like to be a club of some sort and charged at Angela

"Whoaaah!!" he bellowed. Angela raised both hands up in front of her and beckoned him with her fingers,

"Have at it fat boy!" she replied, challenging him to a fight. Once he was less than three feet away from her, she unhooked her saber from her hip and took up a fighting stance. The bandit raised his club high to strike Angela, not noticing the formidable blade. Angela brought her saber up into a blocking position, stopping the club in mid air; it clanged against the metal blade and the man froze.

"What's that you got there?" he asked eyeing Angela's saber.

"Nothing of great importance." She casually replied behind her hood before she took a step forward and shoved the bandit back. He lost his footing and tumbled down backwards. Quickly he picked himself back up off the ground and glanced at Angela who stood smirking down on his pathetic form.

"Gents!" he yelled, "Gents we've got company!" he cried; Angela's smirk vanished in a second. Six more bandits rushed out of their tents at the alarm, weapons were already drawn.

"Oh crap here we go…." She swore under her breath. The seven angry bandits eyed Angela while they slowly surrounded her; three on her left, three on her right, one in front. Clubs, daggers and all sorts of other hand weapons were pointed at Angela as the slowly closed in. Angela took up her defensive fighting stance; flashing her silver saber at the group of men.

"Hyaah!!" they cried as all seven of them charged at Angela. Quickly thinking, she force-pushed the three men coming in on her right side and sent them flying backwards into a tent, knocking it to the ground. As two more bandits came at Angela, she preformed a drop spin to the ground, kicking their feet right out from under them; both bandits flipped onto their head. As Angela rose to her full height, she brought her saber up quickly to block the blow of a dagger and a sphere being brought down hard upon her by the last two bandits. Angela released one of her hands from the hilt of her saber and punched one of the bandits right in his nose, breaking it; he fell back onto the ground. Then she lifted her leg up and kicked the last bandit right in his groin, as he hunched over in pain, Angela brought the hilt of her saber down on his head, knocking him out cold. Breathing in heavily, Angela scanned her eyes over the entire camp, all seven bandits had been taken out and laid sprawled out across the ground.

"Now where is Yvad?" she mumbled. The largest tent began to rumble softly, and one more man stepped out. He didn't look like the others Angela had just fought. Standing a little more than 6 feet tall, with a head that resembled something like an octopus; was none other than the infamous Yvad Jenos. His piercing pale blue eyes searched the camp, shocked as he saw that his entire had been defeated. Then his eyes landed on Angela. They took in her every detail from her black mask all the way down to her boots.

"What's your purpose here?" he asked his voice dripped with a heavy Scottish accent. Angela looked him up in down as well,

"I take it you're Yvad Jenos?" Angela asked, not exactly surprised at his horrifying appearance.

"Yesss," he hissed, "Now why would a young gal such as yourself wish to know? More importantly why are you here?" he questioned cocking his head to the side.

"Oh for a few reasons," she answered casually, "One, just thought I'd drop in, two, I'm here to reclaim the things that you have stolen," she paused giving a nod of her head in the direction of the four prisoners, "…..and three, I hear there's a nice price upon your head." She finished.

"Price?" he repeated while smacking his lips together, "I have no idea what you are talking about." He stated.

"Oh I think you do, now what's it gonna be? You can either make this job easier for me, or you cannot, but either way Yvad, your terrorizing of the people of Naboo ends tonight." She finished; Yvad threw his head back and laughed.

"I've had bounty hunters from all over this planet come for my wretched hide. It'll take more than a little gal to intimidate me." He chuckled menacingly

"We shall see." Angela challenged while taking up a fighting stance, and positioned her saber for combat. Yvad's eyes narrowed dangerously at Angela.

"So be it, but you'll receive no mercy from me!" he warned while pulling out his own version of a sword.

"Hence why I brought this." Angela replied signaling to her own saber. They both charged at each other, full speed, weapons raised high. Angela's saber and Yvad's sword connected with great force; the two metal weapons clanged loudly together. Angela pulled back to strike again; Yvad blocked her blow, the swiped low at Angela's legs. Angela jumped high in the air dodging his move, before she dived to the ground and rolled under another swing from Yvad's blade. Rolling to her feet, she jumped back a few steps before she kicked her leg high in the air at Yvad's charging form. Her foot caught him right below his chin and sent him staggering back. Angela lowered her saber to her side before she charged at Yvad and tackled him to the ground. Using her knee, she pressed down on Yvad's upper chest, knocking the breath from his body; reaching a hand out toward Yvad's sword, she used the force to disarm him, then brought both her saber and his sword up to his throat. Yvad raised both his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

"Well what do you know? You've got some skills with a blade." He spoke panting slightly.

"Tell me something I don't know." Angela grumbled.

"Tell me missy, now that you have won our battle, what is it that your going to do now hmmm?" he asked

'I'm not going to kill you if that's what you're implying." She answered,

"And why not? I'm a wanted man, a murderer, you'd be doing this planet a favor by removing me from it permanently." He smirked; Angela shook her head,

"Your life isn't mine to take; the people of Naboo shall decide the fate of you and your men." Yvad was silent and stared deeply into Angela's eyes; then his smirk widened and he began to chuckle.

"You've never taken a life before have you? That's why you won't kill me, you're too……" he looked her up and down, "… pure to do it." He spoke mockingly. Angela tightened her grip on her saber and pushed the side of the blade deeper into Yvad's neck. Yvad tensed up.

"I might not have taken a life **before**, but that doesn't mean I can't do it." She snapped threateningly then paused for a few seconds before continuing, "Well Yvad, this was fun, but I know a few people who want to see you locked up, so have fun in prison!" she mumbled then drew her saber's hilt up above his head and brought it down hard on his temple; Yvad went limp. Angela rose off his chest and stared down on the man; a key was hooked on his belt. Angela reached a hand down and grasped hold of the key and yanked it off before turning on her heel and walked back over to the cage. The four prisoners stood wide-eyed staring at Angela in disbelief at what they had just seen. Angela took the key and placed it in the lock; after she gave it a quick turn the door clicked; and Angela pulled it open before stepping aside so the people could be freed. Angela turned her head away and gave a whistle; the white horse soon trotted up next to her. Grabbing hold of the horn of the saddle she swung herself back up onto the horse's back, and took hold of the reigns; preparing herself to once again take off.

"Wait!" called the young boy, and he quickly ran up to the horse. Angela gazed down softly at the child.

"Where…where are you going?" he asked. Angela shrugged her shoulders.

"Wherever I'm needed." She replied.

"But what about them?" he questioned while pointing to the unconscious bandits.

"I'm leaving them in your guy's capable hands. The capital is about five miles from here. I'm trusting you guys to deliver these men to justice." She explained; giving a small smile to the boy and a quick nod to the other three people, Angela gently kicked the horse in its side and took off.


	15. Chapter 15: The Black Rider is Born

CHAPTER 15: The Black Rider Is Born

Angela rode all through the night; her next destination, Naboo's capital. When she entered, the sun was just dawning, scattering bright pink and yellow across the horizon. Angela's eyes drooped with exhaustion. She pulled the horse to a stop in front of a large hotel; Angela jadedly dismounted of the horses back and claimed her bag. Gently running a hand down the horse's snout, she stared deeply into the horse's brown eyes and smiled softly.

"Well," she sighed, "….we did it," she began, "…but now we must go separate ways my friend." Angela petted the horse's neck before waving a hand in front of its face.

"Go home." She firmly commanded; with a nod of its head the horse turned and trotted away. Angela brought a hand up to her still hidden face and removed her black mask; then she entered the hotel. A man who looked to be no older than his mid thirties, stood behind a desk looking at some papers. He looked up at Angela as she walked up to the desk.

"Ah hello young lady how can I help you?" he asked. Angela spoke from behind her hood,

"I'd like a room here please." She casually replied.

"One room here will cost 8 credits per night." He stated, Angela raised an eyebrow, then softly waved her hand.

"I'd like to be shown to my room now." She firmly spoke; the man's face went blank and he automatically replied,

"I shall show you to your room now." Angela moved her hand again,

"You have no need for my money." She told him,

"I do not need your money. Please follow me." And with that said he walked out from behind the desk and headed over to some stairs, Angela was just a few feet behind. He looked back over his shoulder and repeated

"Follow me. This way." He stated; Angela smirked behind her hood,

"If you insist." She mumbled. He led her up a few flights of stairs and down a long hallway. At the very end on the right side, he stopped in front of a door and unlocked it for her.

"Your room Miss." He politely bowed and handed her the room key before he turned and walked off. Angela strolled into her hotel room and shut the door behind her, locking it as well. Angela dropped the hood from her head and let out a deep sigh before she walked over to the big canopy bed and lowered her bag from her shoulders to the floor; she sat down on the bed. She slowly unhooked her saber from her hip and set it down carefully on the floor next to the bed. Bringing her hands up to her neck, she untied her cloak and shrugged it off her shoulders; then she bent over and pulled her boots off her feet. After turning her body, she laid back on the bed; the soft pillows against her head, the comfy mattress beneath her body, Angela pulled her cloak over herself like a blanket and fell asleep. She slept though most of the afternoon, when she came around again, Angela got up and headed straight to the refresher for a nice, hot shower. When she immerged, she was wrapped in only a towel that clung tightly around her torso. Finding her bag next to the bed, on the floor, Angela pulled out some fresh clothes. After drying herself off and putting on the necessary underclothes, Angela removed a long, coral colored gown with white trim. She slid it over her head and tied up the back; then she rummaged around and sought out her hairbrush which she found at the bottom of her bag. Hairbrush in one hand, towel in the other, Angela stood to her feet and walked over to take a seat on the couch. She quickly turned on the hologram while she brushed her wet and tangled hair out. Once her hair ran smoothly down to her lower back, she tossed it over her left shoulder and began braiding it. Angela despite the fact that the hologram stood but a few feet from her, she paid no mind to what was on.

"This is unbelievable!! Miraculous!! Astonishing!! After almost 2 months of terrorization, the infamous Yvad Jenos and his entire crew have finally been captured!!" spoke a joyous news reporter; Angela's attention was immediately drawn to the hologram and she listened intently.

"We stand here, right outside the palace of the Queen who in just a few moments shall speak with us about this miracle. But for now we are going to have a few words with the eye witnesses of Yvad's capture; the 4 prisoners," At that, the 4 familiar faces of the prisoners Angela had rescued, appeared on the hologram behind them stood a large group of cheering civilians. The reporter leaned in close to them,

"So please tell us, how in the world did you manage to escape your imprisonment?" the reporter asked; the small boy immediately spoke up.

"It was the Black Rider!" he exclaimed, "She rode in on a tall white horse and took out all the bandits, one by one." The other 3 people nodded their heads in agreement; then one of the men spoke.

"I've never seen anything like her before. She is exceptional with a blade." He added, the boy frantically nodded his head

"Yeah, yeah, and she made the bandits fly!" the boy spoke jumping slightly off the ground; excited at the memory. The news reporter continued his questioning,

"So after she, as you stated, took out the bandits, as well as Yvad I assume, what happened after that?" the reporter asked; quite intrigued with the story. The woman spoke up, placing her hands upon the shoulders of her son.

"She freed us from our cage. And told us to deliver those horrible men to the capital; then she quickly called her horse and rode off. After she had left, we all helped one another drag each bandit and Yvad over to the cage where we locked them up." The woman explained; the news reporter was getting ready to say something else but froze,

"Make way for the Queen of Naboo!" A voice called out and all eyes turned to the palace where the soon resigning Queen appeared on a balcony looking as joyous as everyone else. She was dressed in a dark emerald gown, her face was powdered white, her lips red on her head was a matching, feathered headdress; she raised her arms up and all fell silent. She smiled and spoke up

"Dear people of Naboo, today is indeed a very blissful day," the people cheered at that statement and the Queen continued,

"Naboo can finally sleep well and be safe. Even as we stand here at this moment, Yvad and his ruthless men are being locked away." The cheering grew louder, and the Queen's smile widened, "I have been informed about this so called _Black Rider_, and wherever she is at this moment, if she walks among us now, or watches us from a hologram, let it be known. She has earned the respect and eternal gratitude of the planet Naboo. Heroic Black Rider, I thank you for saving my people." The crowd of people cheered in agreement and happiness. The news reporter turned to face the hologram a smile on his face.

"Well you've heard it here folks; Yvad has finally been defeated by the heroic Black Rider. If she is listening to any of this, Black Rider, wherever you are now, may you always stand tall and strong against the evil. I believe I speak for all of Naboo when I say that we shall now always look towards you to defend and protect the innocents when dark times occur." The reporter finished his small speech and walked off to interview other civilians. Angela's mouth hung open in shock.

"Dang word travels fast!" she thought as a smile bloomed across her lips.

"Hmmmm….Black Rider….short, simple, easy to remember yet mysterious and intimidating……" she pondered the title for a few seconds, "I like it!" she exclaimed quietly and giggled softly. Quickly jumping to her feet she went over to the refresher and entered to collect her things that she dropped inside when she took her shower. She came out with her black gown and shorts in her arms; she gracefully walked over to her bed and neatly laid them out. Her mask was resting on the nightstand, her saber and boots on the floor. As she stared down on her outfit, a small smile tugged at her lips. Reaching her marked hand out, she caressed the soft black silk; Angela felt something change deep within her.

"This is my destiny." She spoke out loud softly, "On my life," she vowed to herself, "I shall protect and defend the innocents on this planet; if evil lurks in the shadows, I will find it source, and take it down. From this day on till the day I die, I will be," she paused,

"The Black Rider."


	16. Chapter 16: Obiwan Kenobi

(Switching to Obi's P.O.V)

CHAPTER 16: Obiwan Kenobi 

Inside the Jedi Temple, on the planet Corescant, a tall and very handsome young Jedi strolled down one of the many hallways. His light brown robes fluttered behind him with each stride he took; he turned into a large doorway and entered the dining hall where most of the Jedi had gathered for their evening meal. Obiwan's blue-green eyes scanned the many faces sitting at the tables; his eyes soon found his Master who had already started eating, Obiwan wandered over to join him.

"Evening Master." Obiwan greeted with a friendly smile while taking a seat at the table right beside Qui Gon. Qui Gon's deep blue eyes met Obiwan's face and he in return gave his apprentice a smile.

"Hello Obiwan. I was wondering when you were going to show up." Qui Gon turned his attention back to the plate in front of him and continued eating his dinner.

"I'm sorry Master; I got caught up in my studies." Obiwan apologized; Qui Gon smirked,

"Apology accepted my young padawan," Qui Gon spoke while he removed a smaller plate from his own and slid it over to Obiwan, "I figured you'd be late, so I picked this up for you incase I had to bring something back up to our apartment." Qui Gon explained. Obiwan brought the plate of food in front of him; on it was a slice of meat, steamed vegetables, and a roll.

"Thank you Master." Obiwan spoke while he picked up a fork and began eating. Obiwan was silent for the rest of his meal; once he finished he put his plate and silver wear back onto Qui Gon's and pushed it aside.

"So Master, how was your day?" Obiwan asked.

"It was fine. I had a meeting with the council." Qui Gon answered; Obiwan raised an eyebrow.

"What for?" He asked. Qui Gon brought propped his elbows up on the table, resting his hands under his chin.

"Well I'm sure you were aware of the mission to the planet Naboo." Qui Gon stated

"Of course; almost everyone here was aware of it. The council was planning on sending some Jedi out to find that uh what was his name……Yvad fellow." Obiwan replied; Qui Gon nodded.

"Correct. Well it turns out the Jedi are longer need on the case. Yvad and his crew have been captured and locked up." Qui Gon explained; Obiwan's brows rose in surprise.

"Someone finally stopped him? He's been on the loose for almost two months. Who could of brought him down?" Obiwan asked his brows furrowed in deep thought; Qui Gon shrugged

"No one really knows. That was another reason why the council wanted to speak with me; they wanted to know if I knew anyone who could've done it." He spoke.

"And did you?" Obiwan wondered. Qui Gon shook his head.

"No. I don't anyone who could've done it." He told Obiwan.

"So it wasn't a Jedi who…" Obiwan began,

"No, it wasn't a Jedi." Qui Gon confirmed

"What else did the council say?" Obiwan questioned curiously.

"When the council received the message from the Queen, telling them the news, the Queen informed the council about the heroic woman; giving them a small description of her profile." Qui Gon answered. Obiwan's mouth opened slightly at the shocking news.

"Her?" he repeated; Qui Gon nodded.

"Yes. The one who brought Yvad down was a young woman." Qui Gon explained.

"That's impressive…." He murmured, "She must be skilled." Obiwan stated while he picked up a glass by his right arm and brought it to his lips, taking a sip. Qui Gon nodded his head

"Extremely." He spoke.

"Well who is she?" Obiwan asked while setting his glass down.

"That's the interesting part. No one can fully say what she looks like. She dresses in all black, with the hood of her cloak high over her head, she even wears a mask. The people of Naboo have given her the name The Black Rider. Other than that, nothing else is known about her. Quite a mystery don't you think?" Qui Gon asked; Obiwan nodded his head.

"Indeed; very mysterious." He agreed. Qui Gon softly nodded his head before he rose from his seat.

"Come Obiwan, Lets head on back to our apartment, we'll meditate for a little while and than we can head down to the training arena; I've got some new moves to show you." Qui Gon smiled at his apprentice. Obiwan smirked and stood to his feet,

"Alright Master." He replied while he and Qui Gon walked away from the table and left the dining hall. On their way back to their apartment, Obiwan couldn't help but wonder about the young mysterious woman known as the Black Rider.


	17. Chapter 17: A Late Night Rescue

Chapter 17: Late night rescue 

Back on Naboo, night had fallen; Angela was getting ready to take on the responsibilities and duties of being the Black rider. After tying cloak around her neck and securing her mask upon her face, Angela tugged her hood up over her head and left her hotel room by climbing out of a window. She dropped to the empty streets below, then set off scouting the Capital. Silently, she turned down a dark alley between two buildings and pulled herself up onto one of the roofs. Taking quick strides, she climbed to the highest part of the building she stood on and perched herself low to the roof. Her eyes beneath her mask scanned everywhere; all seemed quiet and at ease. Just as Angela was getting ready to move to another part of the capital to patrol the rest of the streets, a scream sounded in the distance. Angela's head snapped in the direction of the sound before she rose to her feet and took off sprinting towards the distress call.

"Help!!" a voice cried. Angela's pace increased; she jumped from building to building, hopped railings till she stopped at the edge of another building and looked down at the scene below her. A young girl was struggling between three men.

"Let go!" The girl cried.

"Shut up!" one man spoke.

In a flash Angela leaped off the building and landed just a few feet from the struggle. All eyes turned to see Angela.

"Who are you?" another man spoke turning from the girl and took a step towards Angela.

"No one you wanna mess with." Angela answered from behind her hood. The man took a step closer; Angela sized the man up. He looked to be in his mid twenties, he had yellow eyes and blue hair.

"Is that so?" he asked. Smirking, he raised his hand up in the air, turned around and cuffed the girl across the side of her head; the two other men holding the girl released their hold on her as she went flying into the stone wall behind her. She slid to the ground unconscious. Angela's eyes narrowed and her blood began to boil as she stared at the helpless girl on the ground. She turned her eyes back up to the men slowly, menacingly.

"That was a very bad move on your part." She spoke her voice low and dangerous. The three men snickered at that statement.

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?" one asked while crossing his arms over his chest. Angela stood tall at the challenge and slowly pulled her saber from her hip, flashing the deadly silver blade. The men's smirks vanished at the sight of the weapon and they began to nervously back away.

"Who are you?" one asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Angela replied. The man who had asked the question let his eyes scan over Angela's body, taking in all her details; or at least the ones that could be seen. Realization dawned across his face.

"Your….your…" he staggered over his words nervously, Angela rolled her eyes and finished his sentence.

"The Black Rider." she firmly finished talking and took a step closer. All three men swallowed fearfully. Angela raised her open left hand up in the air and swiftly gave her wrist a flick. The man standing closest to her flew right into her hand. Gripping the scruff of his shirt tightly in her grasp, she flung him hard up against the wall behind her while bringing her saber up and pressed it into his neck.

"Ok let me make myself clear 'cause I don't want to have to repeat myself. Now I don't feel like spilling blood tonight, but if you piss me off, I can't make any promises. You following me so far?" she asked staring intensely into the cowering man's eyes. He silently nodded his head.

"Wonderful. So, I'm going to let you guys off with a warning, and you better listen to it well. If I catch any of you pulling a stunt like this ever again, I will track you down and personally see to it that it is the last thing you ever do." Angela threatened, "Now get out of my sight!" she lowered her saber from his neck and tossed him away from her roughly; he and the other two men stumbled over each other and took off into the night. Angela put her saber away, then glanced over her shoulder remembering the girl; she laid sprawled out on the ground where the men had left her. Angela quickly walked over and kneeled down next to the girl; she reached her left hand out and placed it on the girl's forehead. She was fine minus the bump and small cut on her right temple. Angela quickly glanced around the entire area, then looked back down on the girl. Bracing herself on her knees, Angela gently slid her arms under the girl's back and knees and scooped the girl up into her arms. The girl wasn't heavy, or big for that matter, she looked no older than Angela. Angela rose to her feet, turned on her heel and carried the girl out of the alley. Angela moved swiftly through the streets; she came to a stop at small fountain lying in the middle of the capital. Carefully, she laid the girl down on the edge of the fountain and took a seat beside her. Taking a piece of her cloak in one hand, she dipped it in the cool water and pressed it lightly to the girl's temple. The girl softly stirred under the cool touch, and her eyes slowly fluttered open. Brown eyes met ocean blue ones; the girl weakly spoke.

"Who are you?" she asked. Angela gave her a soft smile,

"A friend." She answered; the girl slowly sat up and brought a hand to her sore temple.

'Those men…" she started while gently rubbing her head,

"Don't worry; you won't be seeing them any time soon." Angela assured her. The girl was silent; Angela took that time to observe the girl more closely. She had long dark brown hair, and ivory colored skin.

"What's your name?" Angela asked quietly, breaking the silence. The girl looked over to Angela.

"Padme." the girl replied. Angela nodded her head then rose to her feet.

"Well Padme, You've had a rough night. I suggest you head home now and get some rest." Angela turned away from Padme and began walking away.

"Wait!" Padme cried; Angela looked back over her shoulder.

"Thank you." Padme spoke. Angela only nodded her head before she vanished from Padme's sight. Padme still sat on the fountain's edge still trying to compute what had just happened, then Padme pulled herself to her feet and slowly started her journey home.

"Everyone back at the palace is probably so worried about me." She whispered out loud before picking up the front of her dress and took off jogging. In less than 10 minuets Padme reached the Queen's palace; after racing inside, Padme ran into the other Handmaidens who were wandering the marble halls.

"Padme!" one called as they noticed her. All eyes turned to see Padme breathing in deeply.

"Where have you been?? The Queen had been asking for you." The handmaiden spoke.

"Sorry Sabe, I ran into some trouble on my way back and got held up." Padme explained. Sabe walked up to Padme and noticed the cut on her temple.

"Dear Lord Padme! What happened to you?" Sabe softly exclaimed. The rest of the handmaidens gathered around Padme, whispering and asking questions.

"Girls it's all right. I'm ok." Padme assured them.

"But what happened?" another handmaiden asked.

"It doesn't matter. What you guys should know is that all is well. I was saved before anything ghastly could happen." Padme explained to the group.

"By who?" Sabe asked. Padme thought about Angela.

"A friend." She answered. Padme gave her group of handmaidens a smile before she gracefully walked by them. Sabe turned to the group of girls.

"You guys think it was the Black Rider?" Sabe asked; all the handmaidens nodded.


	18. Chapter 18: The Warning

CHAPTER 18: The Warning

Days turned into weeks and weeks soon became months; the old Queen of Naboo had resigned and a new one was elected, one by the name of Padme Amidala, the very same girl Angela had rescued. On top of all that, Angela's Black Rider reputation grew to be very popular with the people of Naboo. Naboo's crime rate dropped rapidly, and everyone on the entire planet was familiar with the figure known as the Black Rider. Angela was keeping herself so occupied with watching over and protecting the people of Naboo, Angela had forgotten the dark plan that set down by a couple of Siths.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~6 months later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angela laid tossing and turning in her bed. Sweat beads covered her forehead. Inside Angela's mind, an intense dream played on…..

Angela stood on a green hill looking down onto a flat green plain. Hundreds, maybe thousands of dead bodies were sprawled out everywhere; Droids, and another type of species that Angela was unfamiliar with, laid unmoving.

"A battle took place here." Angela whispered at the horrific scene. The ground beneath her feet began to shake and rumble, Angela turned around. Eight or nine droid tanks made their way towards Angela and began open firing on her. Suddenly, that scene melted away, and Angela found herself in a different place. She stood in the corner of a room, a throne room to be exact. As her eyes traveled over the area, they stopped in the center on the room.

"Viceroy." Angela murmured as she recognized the tall alien like figured dressed in his red robes. He sat seated on the throne; his Advisor stood next to him.

"At last, we have control of the entire planet." The Viceroy stated happily.

"The Queen has not yet signed the treaty though." His advisor spoke up.

"She will in time. Once she see how much her people are suffering and dying she will have no other choice but to sign it." The Viceroy explained.

Angela's eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up in bed. Her breaths were coming in short gasps.

"The Invasion!" she whispered, "I can't believe I forgot about that!" she swore as she quickly flew out of bed and got dressed.

"Must……warn…..Queen!" she stated while walking around her room picking up her clothes and belongings. Tonight, she needed to speak with the Queen. After her gown, boots, cloak, mask, and saber were on her, she immediately jumped out her bedroom window and set off towards the palace. After sprinting through the empty streets, Angela reached the Queen's palace. She forgot that she never pulled her hood up, so she quickly pulled it over her head, then gazed up at the tall palace before her.

"How am I gonna get in?" she asked herself. Angela scouted the entire perimeter of the palace; there were a few doors here and there but Angela needed a more secretive way in. Angela thought about that for a second before looking up,

"Balcony." She mumbled as she stared up at the platform above her head. Angela braced her legs apart, bent her knees and pushed off the ground. With the force on her side, she shot right up into the air and landed silently on the balcony. A door stood just a few feet away from her.

"Please lead to the Queen's chambers." She thought to herself. Angela reached for the handle, and gave it a turn; it was unlocked. She gently pushed open the door and stepped inside; the room was dark, even thought Angela was use to working in darkness, she was still having trouble seeing. Angela used the force to guide her way in; it led her over to a canopy bed. Angela moved to stand beside it, she noticed something was moving under the sheets, someone was in the bed. She looked down on the sleeping form and relief flowed over her. She let out a silent sigh and said a soft prayer as she gazed down upon the newly elected Queen. Angela slowly reached a hand out and brought it close to the Queens face, one it hovered just a few centimeters away, Angela quickly brought it down to cover the Queens mouth. The Queen immediately jerked awake and began thrashing about. Angela had to use her other hand to pin the Queen's shoulder down.

"Stop your thrashing!" Angela whispered, "I'm not going to hurt you!" The Queen froze and stared up; she now recognized Angela. Angela lowered her hand from the Queen's mouth; the Queen softly exclaimed

"You!" she spoke; Angela nodded,

"Yeah, me." She answered. The Queen sat up; Angela pulled back a little, giving the Queen some room.

"How did you…." The Queen began, Angela quickly jumped in before she could finish her sentence,

"I've got my ways." Angela replied before carrying on, "Listen, there's something that you must be aware of. There's a conspiracy to overthrow you and take control of your planet." As Angela told to the Queen this, her brown eyes widened.

"By whom?" She asked

"The Viceroy of the Trade Federation." Angela firmly answered.

"What?!" the Queen exclaimed quietly, "No, you must be mistaken. The Trade Federation wouldn't try a thing like that." The Queen argued.

"Clearly you don't know them that well." Angela stated.

"I know them well enough to know that they wouldn't try to do that. The Senate wouldn't allow them to." The Queen answered.

"The Senate doesn't know." Angela threw back. The queen's eyes narrowed softly and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ok, let's say I believe you. When does this conspiracy begin?" The Queen interrogated.

"I don't have the exact date, but its coming; maybe in a few days or it could be a week." Angela replied.

"I see. And how Black Rider did you manage to come by this information?" The Queen pressed on; Angela groaned in annoyance and rolled her eyes.

"Let's just call it a very good hunch." She answered.

"So you don't know when this thing's going to happen, you don't have a reliable source. And you expect me to believe you because…?" The Queen paused.

"Because _your majesty," _Angela put emphasis on the Queen's title, "I don't freaking travel across the capital, break into the royal palace for no reason!" Angela snapped quietly.

"I don't believe you. What you are suggesting is completely superficial. Naboo and the Trade Federation have had a peaceful alliance for years now." The Queen stated. Angela shook her head and groaned again then she rose to her feet.

"I'm not going to fight with you on this your highness, I've told you what's gonna happen and that's all that matters. Whether you want to accept that or not is strictly your own problem," Angela walked back over to the balcony and stopped right outside the door way; she looked back over her shoulder at the young Queen, "I hope that in time you will open your eyes and see the chaos that is right outside your doorstep; if you let this problem proceed, you will lose everything." Angela explained. Before Angela hopped off the balcony, she quickly called over to the Queen one last time.

"You have been warned your Highness." Then Angela vanished from the palace.


	19. Chapter 19: Here Comes the Blockade

CHAPTER 19: Here Comes the Blockade

Not knowing what to expect, Angela immediately picked up her training; she wanted to be prepared for anything. Something deep down inside told her that this would be the toughest thing she has yet faced. Angela sharpened her saber, and forged a few hand daggers. Four days after Angela's meeting with the Queen, Angela's prediction came true……

The Trade Federation's blockade was slowly closing in on the planet Naboo. The Viceroy and his Advisor stood in the center of the main control room looking out on the peaceful planet. The Advisor hit a button on the control panel and Sidious' form appeared on a hologram.

"Ahh," said the Viceroy, "Greetings Lord Sidious." The viceroy gave a low bow.

"Have you begun the blockade?" Sidious asked, his voice low and scratchy.

"Yes my Lord, our fleets have surrounded the entire planet." The Viceroy answered.

"Good. Then everything is going as planed. Have you contacted the Queen yet?" Sidious asked.

"Yes. We had just spoken with her not too long ago. We told her our demands, but she doesn't seem to want to give in to them." The Viceroy explained.

"Queen Amidala will give in to our demands. Viceroy, you must get her to sign that treaty." Sidious spoke.

"It will be done my Lord." The Viceroy replied. Sidious' figure faded away. The Viceroy turned to his Advisor,

"I think perhaps we need to speak with the Queen once more." The Viceroy suggested; his Advisor nodded in agreement and sent a transmission to the Queen.

~~~~~~~~~~Inside the Palace of Naboo~~~~~~

Queen Amidala sat on her throne, her handmaidens dressed in golden gowns sat around her. On the floor in front of Queen Amidala, paced the Governor and the Queen's captain of the guards.

"Your highness, the Trade Federation has completely blocked off all routes leading out and into our planet." The Captain informed.

"The Black Rider wasn't lying." The Queen spoke inside her head. Queen Amidala looked to the captain; "I have already ordered the Viceroy to release our planet. The Viceroy refuses unless I sign his treaty." The Queen explained.

"You mustn't give in to his demands." The Captain spoke

"I have no intention of signing a treaty Captain." The Queen assured.

"Your majesty, I can't figure out why the Trade Federation is doing this. So I've have sent word to Chancellor Valorum; he, even as we speak, is already searching for a solution to our problem." The governor informed, "I would not think that this issue will last more than a few days. It is probably just a…..misunderstanding." He added; Queen Amidala rose from her throne and walked over to an enormous window, gazing out onto her city she softly spoke,

"I hope you're right governor."

~~~~~~~~~Back On Corescant; In the Jedi Temple~~~~~~~~~

Chancellor Valorum swiftly made his way through the endless marble corridors; he took an elevator leading to the top of one of the Temple's towers. As the elevator's door slid open with a hiss, Chancellor Valorum quickly exited the small compartment before he walked down another long hallway; the very end was a massive double-door. When he was less than three feet away, it slid open to him automatically; Chancellor Valorum entered the large council room. Twelve Jedi Masters sat in a half circle; a dark skinned man who sat near the center, greeted the Chancellor.

"Welcome Chancellor Valorum. What is it that you needed to speak with the Jedi council? I assume that it's urgent business?" The man asked; Valorum moved to stand in the center of the council.

"Master Windu, we have a slight issue at hand. I'm in need of the Jedi's assistance." Valorum spoke.

"We shall do all we can. What seems to be the problem?" Windu asked; all eyes were now on Valorum waiting for his response.

"For some reason, which is still unexplainable, the Trade Federation has formed a blockade around the planet Naboo. I have tried getting in contact with the Viceroy, but he will not answer to my calls." Valorum explained; a small old green animal-like creature sitting beside Master Windu spoke up.

"Mmmmm….." He mumbled, "…unusual that is." He stated; Windu nodded his head in agreement, "See your problem Chancellor we do." The old master spoke.

"Master Yoda," the Chancellor began, "What do you suggest we do about this?" he asked; Yoda thought about it for a few seconds before turning towards Master Windu.

"Mace, call Qui Gon and his apprentice." Yoda ordered; Mace Windu reached into his robs and pulled out his com link; pushing a button on top of it, he raised it to his mouth and spoke into the small communication device.

"Qui Gon, this Mace Windu, your presence has been requested in the council room. Come at once and bring your apprentice." Mace ordered; after putting his com link back into his robes, he turned back to Yoda.

"Qui Gon is on his way." Mace told him; then he sat back in his chair and raised his hands up to his chin.

"Chancellor Valorum, send two of our best Jedi knights to investigate we will; most confident am I that Qui Gon can come to some sort of negotiation with the Viceroy." Yoda assured. A few minuets later, the council room doors slid open and Qui Gon and his apprentice walked in. They greeted the council with a low respective bow.

"You wished to see us Masters?" Qui Gon spoke up.

"Yes. It seems that you are needed on a very important mission." Mace stated; Qui Gon and Obiwan glanced at each other quickly before facing the council.

"What do you need us to do?" Qui Gon questioned.

"The Trade Federation has formed a blockade around the planet Naboo. We need the two of you to go and negotiate the release of the planet with the Viceroy." Mace explained.

"I don't think the Viceroy will be very keen to let two Jedi meet with him Masters." Obiwan pointed out.

"You won't be going as Jedi Knights young Obiwan," The Chancellor spoke, "The two of you, are going to be Ambassadors to myself. The Viceroy will have no choice but to meet with you." Chancellor Valorum clarified; Qui Gon nodded his head in understanding, than he glanced over at his apprentice who gave him a soft nod in return.

"We accept the mission. When do you need us to leave?" Qui Gon asked.

"As soon as possible." Chancellor Valorum answered.

"Very well. We'll leave tonight." Qui Gon stated

"Excellent!" exclaimed Chancellor Valorum, "You shall travel in one of my vessels; I'll send word to have it prepared for you immediately." He added then turned to Qui Gon and Obiwan,

"We shall be eternally grateful for your assistance Master Jedi and young Obiwan." Chancellor Valorum expressed his gratitude; then quickly left the council and headed off to prepare the two Jedi's ship. Master Yoda who held a wooden cane in his lap, turned his attention back onto Qui Gon and Obiwan.

"Important mission this is, handled with great care it must be." Yoda softly warned; Qui Gon nodded his head,

"Of course Master Yoda." He agreed.

"May the force be with you both." Master Windu spoke; taking this as their cue to leave, they bowed low to the council then turned on their heels and left the room. As the doors slid shut behind the two Jedi, Qui Gon addressed his apprentice;

"We travel light Obiwan. These negotiations shouldn't take long." Qui Gon stated quietly; Obiwan nodded his head in agreement

"Yes Master." He replied.

"Now, let's see this blockade that the Trade Federation has set up." Qui Gon murmured; Obiwan smirked softly as he followed his Master through the massive temple to the outside streets where their ship awaited them. Chancellor Valorum stood patiently at the foot of the huge vessel.

"I wish you the best of luck Master Jedi and young Obiwan; I shall be waiting to hear from you that your mission was a success." Valorum gave them both a small smile then stood aside to let them onboard.

"We shall inform you of how things are when we learn something." Qui Gon stated Obiwan gave the Chancellor a small smile and nod, then Qui Gon and Obiwan boarded the huge ship, bringing their hoods up over their heads while doing so. When they found their seats, the two pilots in the control room immediately brought the ship off the ground and took off into the sky. For a few hours Qui Gon and Obiwan sat quietly for the whole Journey; Qui Gon meditated and Obiwan simply stared out the window at the dark abyss called space. A voice came on over an intercom,

"Master Jedi?" The voice spoke; Qui Gon opened one eye,

"We are in sight of the planet Naboo and the blockade." The voice informed. Obiwan was already rising from his chair, Qui Gon imitated his apprentice's move, then both men headed into the control room of the ship. When they entered, one pilot quickly informed them,

"We have already sent word to the Viceroy informing him about your visit. He is most anxious to speak with you sir." The pilot spoke.

"As are we." Murmured Obiwan. Qui Gon and Obiwan stood looking out through the wide window the control room had and took in the entire blockade.

"Well there's the blockade." Qui Gon mumbled; Obiwan nodded, the two Jedi stared out at the fleet of ships.


	20. Chapter 20: Short Negotiations

Chapter 20: Short Negotiations

Chancellor Valorum's ship flew right up to one of the main fleets;

"The Viceroy is in there sir, we have permission to enter." The pilot informed.

"Proceed to do so." Qui Gon answered.

The two pilots guided their vessel into the bigger one. They landed almost instantly once inside. The main pilot looked down on a screen in front of him,

"Sir, the Viceroy will come and meet you inside the ship." The pilot informed.

"Very good." Qui Gon spoke then left the room, Obiwan followed right behind him. Qui Gon went back to the compartment he and Obiwan had stayed in.

"Master why do you think the Viceroy formed this blockade?" Obiwan asked,

"I don't know, but we'll get to the bottom of this." Qui Gon answered before he turned and took a seat at a small table; Obiwan did the same.

"What do we do now?" Obiwan wondered.

"We wait my young apprentice, we wait." Qui Gon replied.

The two Jedi didn't have to wait long; the Viceroy of the Trade Federation made sure that the two knights got his message when it came to terms of negotiations. After escaping an attack from the Viceroy's droids, Qui Gon and Obiwan fled.

"You were right about one thing Master," Obiwan whispered to his Master, "The Negotiations were short."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~On Naboo,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angela was perched on top on a tall ledge, looking down on the Queen's palace. Angela had a clear opening leading into the palace. In one swift move, Angela flew through the air and entered an open window. Her boots touched the marble floor softly as she landed in a couching position. After rising to her full height Angela checked her surroundings and took off, looking for the Queen. Angela's cloak flowed out behind her, and her saber lightly tapped her hip with each step she took. Angela tracked the Queen down to her throne room, she was alone. Queen Amidala stood by a window, looking outside. Angela took silent steps toward her before she spoke up.

"Why the long face?" Angela asked; Queen Amidala jumped at the sudden voice and turned in surprise at Angela's masked form.

"How do you keep finding you way in here? With all the guards and alarms?" Amidala asked; Angela shrugged,

"I've got my ways." Angela answered casually; Queen Amidala turned away from the window and completely faced Angela.

"Another hunch?" she snapped; her voice was low, her eyes narrowed. Angela raised her hands up in a surrendering gesture,

"Hey don't get pissed off at me your highness; I was the one who came to warn you about this whole thing in the first place." Angela replied defensively; Amidala's narrowed eyes softened immensely, and she looked down shamefully,

"Your right….. I'm sorry." The young Queen apologize, "It's just……everything is happening so fast, I just can't keep up. And I don't know what to do." She confessed; Angela walked over to the young Queen and laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"That's why I'm here your Majesty." Angela comforted; the Queen looked up to Angela who gave her a soft smile,

"I'm here to help you." Angela explained. The Queen gave her a soft smile in return,

"I would be most grateful for your help Black Rider." The Queen confided; Angela gave a quick nod

"Alrighty then, let's get down to business." Angela spoke,

"How so?" the Queen asked

"Well, we are going to need a plan of action." Angela explained, as she began to pace back in forth in deep thought.

"Plan of action?" Queen Amidala repeated, "You don't intend to start a war now do you?" The Queen questioned; her brown eyes widened at the thought of war. Angela through her head back laughed softly.

"No silly Queen; I don't start things like that," Angela paused her pacing and looked at Queen Amidala before she gave her a playful wink, "I finish them." This earned a small giggle from the Queen, who quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

"Good to know." The Queen murmured who was still trying to retain her laughter.

"So the Viceroy has blocked off the planet with a small armada of ships and he wants you to sign a treaty he designed, but you're not going to do that," Angela paused stating the facts; the Queen nodded her head,

"Yeah that's correct." She commented

"And you're against war or any form of fighting. Hmmm…" Angela paused then looked to the Queen, "Just for the record your highness, you can put off the _physical contact_ for now, but let me tell you that that might not be able to last." Angela firmly informed. The Queen raised an eyebrow at that statement.

"What do you mean by that?" Queen Amidala questioned.

"I mean, that in cases like this, things normally get worse before they get better." Angela explained, the Queen took a small step closer,

"When you say worse…..you mean….???" The Queen tried to finish her question, but couldn't find the right words.

"I'm just saying your majesty, sometimes for things to change for the better, you need to be bold and take matters into your hands; even if that means getting your hands dirty." Angela calmly clarified. The Queen gave a sigh of despair before she quickly moved to sit back on her throne.

"That's easy for you to say." The Queen softly mumbled; Angela softly shook her head in disagreement.

"No your majesty, you have it wrong. A thing like that is never easy." Angela firmly replied; the Queen lifted her confused brown eyes up to Angela's ocean-blue ones.

"The path that I have chosen; being the Black Rider, has never been simple or easy." Angela paused for a few seconds, letting her message sink in, "…and I can tell you now that it's never going to be anything like that." Angela made her words very clear to the young Queen.

"Then why do you do it? How can you choose to live such a life?" the Queen questioned; Angela let out a deep sigh at the Queen's ignorance.

"Because your highness, whether you can see it my way or not, it's the right thing to do." Angela explained,

"Violence?!" The Queen softly exclaimed,

"I do what I must your majesty!" The Queen rolled her eyes, "Don't misjudge me young Queen; try to understand, I want what you want." Angela's voice softly rose in irritation.

"And what's that?" the Queen interrogated her eyes narrowed softly.

"Peace." Angela stated; "I do what I do your highness for the people, for the greater good!" Angela exclaimed in anger, "Uughh!" Angela groaned before she pointed a finger at the Queen, "Listen, if you're just going to stay and…_cower_ in your palace your majesty, then that's your own choice!" Angela snapped before she twisted her feet and began stomping off,

"Where are you going now?" The queen snapped back.

Angela looked back over her shoulder at the Queen,

"I," Angela began, "…am going to actually DO something about this; you know, take things into my own hands." Angela hissed.

"You're crazy!" The Queen exclaimed.

"No," Angela replied casually, "I'm just very bold." Angela answered, before she left the throne room she quickly called back to the Queen,

"When I find something important, you will hear from me again." Angela warned before she disappeared from sight. Swiftly moving through the long corridors of the palace, Angela found the way she had came in,

"The nerve of that Queen!" she mumbled in annoyance before she jumped out of the window and fell to the ground below. Angela continued on her way, sticking close to the shadows and walls of the palace as she made her way around it. As Angela turned a sharp corner, a familiar sound reached her ears; Angela looked East, in the direction of the noise, her eyes found a rather large stable. Seven white horses trotted around in a pen; a smirk pulled on Angela's hidden lips. Angela hurriedly moved toward the closest horse she could find. Angela hopped the small fence of the pen and silently moved toward the grazing animal. Reaching a hand out, Angela took hold of its white mane, and swiftly swung herself up onto its back. Gripping it's mane in both her hands, Angela took control of the tamed animal; and gave it a firm kick with her boots. The white horse instantly took off and jumped the small pen's fence.

"I don't think the Queen would mind if I borrow you for a while." Angela spoke to the white animal. Angela knew where she would have to go to get answers; into the forest where she met with the Viceroy himself. Surprisingly, it didn't take as long as Angela had thought to reach that particular area. It was only a few miles from the palace. Angela, once she was sure that she had found the place, she quickly dismounted the horse and set it free. As she watched it trot out of her sight, Angela turned her attention back to the empty spot where the Viceroy's ship had been.

"I think it's time to find the Viceroy and discuss some negotiations of my own." Angela whispered out loud; her left hand slid to her right hip and she gently brushed the hilt of her saber.


	21. Chapter 21: The Invasion Begins

CHAPTER 21: The Invasion Begins

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Inside the palace of Naboo~~~~~~~~~~~~

Queen Amidala sat at a very large desk, her handmaidens sat around her and in front sat a few other members of government; Queen Amidala sat watching a blue hologram of a man.

"It would seem…… the Trade Feder……Viceroy…..it will…." The hologram was fading in and out; the man who was speaking kept blacking out. Amidala leaned forward in her chair.

"Senator Palpatine, can you hear me??" the Queen asked; instantly, the hologram vanished, Amidala turned to the Governor,

"What's happening?" she asked, the Captain quickly checked the machine it came from.

"All communications have been shut down." He informed; The Governor turned to the Queen.

"That can only mean one thing; Invasion." He stated

"The Trade Federation wouldn't dare go that far!" Queen Amidala exclaimed

"Your highness please, we must take action!" The Governor pleaded, Queen Amidala sat back in her chair,

"I will not condone any action that will lead us to war." She replied firmly.

~~~~~~~~~~Deep Within a Forest on Naboo~~~~~~~

Angela trotted on through, the firm ground beneath her feet started becoming soft and squishy. Angela heard a crashing sound up ahead and silently sneaked up on the source. She took cover behind a very thick tree; her eyes widened behind her hood and mask at what she saw. Ships, vessels of some sort moved about through the trees, knocking most over. Luckily for her, none were heading in her direction; Angela saw hundreds of animals flee from the ship's path.

"Dear Lord, there has to be about 9 of them!" Angela noted in her head. Some the vessels stayed behind, and opened up, Droids riding on some type of scooter came cruising out and began scouting the area.

"So this is the Viceroy's invasion……" Angela paused as she took in the site, "Doesn't look like much." She murmured softly; a droid, who had just appeared marching out of a vessel, was leading a small group of about 30 droids; all were armed. Angela saw the droid head over to a small stand, and a blue Hologram appeared; two tall figures showed up

"Viceroy," The droid spoke; Angela leaned in closer to hear, "we've captured the Queen." The Droid spoke; Angela's eyes widened as she heard this,

"Oh Shi…." Angela couldn't even finish her curse,

"Excellent, but we fear that the two Jedi may have snuck aboard on one of your vessels." The Viceroy informed,

"If they're down here Sir, We'll find them." The Droid assured.

"Make sure that you do. And be mindful, I think there's another threat down there then just a couple of Jedi…" The Viceroy warned before he and his Advisor faded away. Angela smirked,

"They're talking about me." She laughed inside her head. Angela tensed up as she felt something hard press against her back.

"Halt!" A droid ordered from behind her; Angela raised both her hands up in the air then glanced behind her shoulder. A droid stood there, pointing his gun at her; Angela moved her left hand down over to her right hip and firmly took hold of her saber's hilt. In a flash, Angela pulled out her long saber and swiped it back at the droid's head; it fell to the ground with a soft thump. Angela pushed the still standing body of the droid to the ground; it collapsed in a small heap on the squishy ground.

"Hey you over there, freeze!!" Angela's head snapped in the direction of the order; she had been spotted, now four more droids came at her; three on a scooter, one on his feet.

"Oh Crud!" Angela swore out loud before she took off running; a high whistling sound began sounding off and colorful red and green lights flew by Angela's head,

"Oh Double crud!" Angela mumbled under her breath at the fact that she was being caught in an open fire. Angela skillfully dodged through the trees, and kept putting distance between her and the droids; but they still kept their pursuit. Angela, as she looked ahead, noticed a slight change in the scenery, the air was more moist, and the ground was more damp; Angela was entering a swamp. A huge log laid in her path, Angela, without hesitation jumped high over it. She could sense that the droids were still following, so Angela quickened her pace. She could hear all around her, the snapping of leaves and twigs; when she took some time to glance behind her shoulder, Angela felt the right side her body connect rather roughly with a bigger object. This threw Angela off her feet, literally; she and the unknown object went tumbling to the ground. Angela shut her eyes tightly and braced herself for the impact of her landing. The force of their contact sent them both rolling over each other; Angela being the lighter one, landed on top. Her left hand rested on the object and she felt something quite alarming; a soft, quick thudding under her touch. Angela's eyes snapped open as she realized that what she was feeling was a heartbeat and she quickly propped herself up on her arms to look down at what lied beneath her. Two beautiful deep blue-green eyes stared back up at her. Angela's mouth opened slightly in shock;

"It's a young man!" her mind screamed to her as she took in the sight of the very handsome man who looked to be just as shocked as Angela was. He wore a white tunic and leggings with knee-high brown boots, over his broad shoulders rested some type of robe; he had a light golden brown hair color with a hint of red in it, on the right side of his head grew a long and neatly tied braid. He didn't look to be much older than Angela. The humming sound of the droid's scooters closing in brought Angela out of her trance; she looked over her shoulder then back to the young man. Angela looked down and realized that she was half straddling the man's waist; though he couldn't see it, color rose to Angela's cheeks. Quickly she rolled off him and jumped to her feet, giving him a quick look Angela spoke up

"Run!" She ordered and took off sprinting. A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, when she looked over; the young man was running right beside her. The droids began firing at both of them now; and Angela at that moment felt another presence. Swiftly, she dived out of the path of the coming droids and crouched by a tree; the young man kept on running. Angela felt the need to go help him, but as she kept watching, turns out he didn't need her help. About 20 something feet away stood two other figures, Angela heard a high pitched voice cry out;

"Oh NO!!" then a deeper voice jumped in, "Get down!"

One of the figures dropped to the ground while the other whipped out a green lightsaber and reflected the flying laser shots. He took down all the droids who were chasing Angela and the young man. The young man ran up to the older looking man who had just put away his lightsaber. An extremely tall and funny looking creature, who had the high voice Angela had heard a few seconds ago, rose to his feet from the ground he fell to.

"You saved my again!" He exclaimed softly in awe, the young man looked up at the tall figure, his brows were furrowed softly.

"What's this?" he asked, the older man looked to the younger man,

"A local. Come on, we can't stay here. More trouble is coming our way." The older man spoke before he and the younger man took off jogging.

"More? More you say?" The funny looking creature repeated, he quickly followed the two men. Angela stuck close to the trees and she too silently followed the two men and creature.

"Exsqueeze me, but if you're running from danger, best place to go is Gungin city. Tis a hidden city." The creature spoke; both men stop moving and turned to look at the tall creature.

"A Hidden city?" The older man repeated, "Can you take us there?" he asked. The tall creature, who Angela guessed was called a Gungin, thought about the question for a second.

"Uhhh….on second thought no." he answered.

"No?" The older man repeated; he placed his hands upon his hips.

"Tis embarrassing, but….my afraid my's been banished. Da Boss will do terrible things to me if I return. Terrible things!" The Gungin explained; the older man lifted one hand from his hip and pointed up to the sky,

"You hear that?" he asked. The Gungin raised one of his long ears off his shoulders and he listened.

"Yeah." He answered; the older man began to take a few intimidating steps toward him,

"That is the sound of a thousand terrible things heading in our direction," The young man jumped in,

"If they find us, the will crush us, grind us into tiny pieces and blast us into oblivion." He added, a small smirk pulled on his lips; Angela as she watched this scene, bit her lips back to prevent herself from smiling.

"He's cute." She noted in her mind. The Gungin thought about what the two men had just stated,

"Uhhh… you'sa made good point. This way!" he spoke while spinning around quickly; the Gungin's long ears would've smacked the young man had he not dodged them just seconds before. Angela watched the two men follow the Gungin off into the swamp; the younger man gave a quick glance back over his shoulder in the direction where Angela hid. Once he was gone from sight, Angela stepped out from behind the tree,

"Well that was interesting." She mumbled, then she spun on her feet and took off sprinting back to the palace.

"I need to get to the Queen!" she told herself. Angela realized that if she was going to try to stop this invasion from spreading, she was going to have to act quickly. During her journey back to the palace, Angela began devising her own plan of action to take down the Viceroy and bring an end to his Invasion.


	22. Chapter 22: Time To Go!

CHAPTER 22: Time to go!

Angela ran straight back to the Capital, but by the time she got there, droids and tanks covered the streets. Angela pulled herself up on the nearest building and gazed down on the streets below; hundreds of innocent people we being herded off in many different directions. Sticking close to the roofs of buildings, Angela made her way, unnoticed, across the Capital back to the palace. As she could've predicted, it was much harder to get in this time then the other times she came in; droids were everywhere. Angela perched herself behind a small walkway; ducking behind the 2 feet tall wall Angela kneeled to the stone floor and began thinking.

"How exactly do I plan to do this?" she asked herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Switching to Obi's P.O.V)

Gliding through the dark water in an unfamiliar transport Obiwan, Qui Gon, and their new addition JarJa Binks, made their way through the planets core. Obiwan who sat at the controls navigated the ship skillfully; though he was focused on his task, his mind couldn't help but wander back to the figure he ran into in the swamp. He was sure that it was a girl; there was no doubt about that,

"But who was she?" he asked himself; the only thing he could really remember were her eyes. They were such an intense and captivating color, it took his breath away at the first sight of them.

"Ooo Goober fish!" JarJa exclaimed; Obiwan shook himself out of his little day dream.

"Why were you banished JarJa?" he asked trying to get the mysterious girl's image out of his head.

"Uhhh…..long story, but you'sa can say that part of it was because me'sa was clumsy." He explained. A look of confusion came over Obiwan's features.

"You were banished because you were clumsy?" Obiwan repeated.

"Uhhh…you'sa can say that. See……" JarJa began explaining some details of his story, but Obiwan was once again thinking about the girl. He had so many questions that he wanted answered but Obiwan was sure that he would never see that girl again. But he still wanted to know at least why she was there in the forest, and why she had vanished so quickly. During the rest of their journey through the planet's core, they encountered a few dangerous fish that almost ate them, but they had managed to escape and arrived in a river just outside the Capital. Once the had surfaced, Obiwan and Qui Gon pulled into the nearest port and exited the transport, JarJa followed right behind them. They swiftly made their way through the streets, avoiding all contact with the droids. Qui Gon led his apprentice and JarJa on top of a bridge, then they stopped and took in their surroundings; they had a good view of the entrance of the palace. Qui Gon silently pointed out a small group of people being led by a group of droids. A young girl dressed in an all black gown and headdress stood in the center, next to her was an old man with a white beard, behind them walked seven girls dressed in a red, orange and yellow dress; with them were a few guards but they were unarmed. Obiwan looked to his Master who gave him a soft nod. They found the young Queen……

(Switching to Angela's P.O.V)

"I can't just wait around here I've got to get inside." Angela murmured; taking a few steps back, Angela jumped off the walkway and fell to the pavement below. Once her feet touched the ground, Angela took off into the streets; she moved so swiftly and silently, that no one paid any attention to her. After shimming up wall, Angela threw herself through an open window on the west wing of the palace. Looking both ways, Angela found that the corridor she was in was empty. Taking the left hallway, Angela made her way silently through the palace. Everything was still and quiet.

"Looks like this whole place was abandoned." Angela murmured.

(Switching to Obi's P.O.V)

The Queen and her group of people were being led off to a camp. They were just about to pass under the bridge that Qui Gon and Obiwan stood on. They gave each other a quick nod before they unhooked their lightsabers from their hips and hopped the railing. Once landed, the activated their sabers and began taking out the droids. This took only a few seconds for the two Jedi Knights to accomplish. Once the last droid fell to the ground Qui Gon immediately turned to the young Queen.

"We must get you off the streets your highness." Qui Gon spoke; the Governor, who stood next to the young Queen, quickly put his arm around the Queen's shoulders and led her off around the corner of a building; her group followed. The Governor turned to Qui Gon.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am an Ambassador to Chancellor Valorum." Qui Gon answered.

"It seems your negotiations have failed Ambassador." The Governor began,

"The negotiations never took place." Qui Gon informed, "do you guys have a transport?" Qui Gon Qui Gon, the Captain spoke up, "In the west wing, over there." He pointed with a finger in the direction, "We must move quickly." Qui Gon spoke before he led the group into the building with the transport. They stopped just outside a large door. Qui Gon turned to face the Queen,

"We must get you off this planet your highness." Qui Gon spoke.

"Thank you Ambassador, but my place is with my people." The Queen answered.

"They will kill you if you stay." Qui Gon explained.

"They wouldn't dare!" The Governor exclaimed

"They need her to sign a treaty; they can't afford to kill her." The Captain added, Qui Gon turned to the Queen,

"Your Highness there is more to this whole plot then the Trade Federation is letting on, I can feel it. If you stay, they are most certain to destroy you." Qui Gon spoke his voice pleading slightly; a voice suddenly spoke up from left side.

"I wouldn't doubt him your Majesty, in fact I agree with him." Slowly making her way around the group, Angela stopped in front of the Queen, all eyes were upon her.

"And you are……Miss?" The Governor asked suspiciously, Angela raised an eyebrow under her hood. JarJa excitedly jumped up and down.

"Oh me'sa knows who dat is!" He exclaimed, then pointed a finger at Angela, "You'sa da Black Rider!" he announced. Angela smirked softly beneath her hood before she gave a soft bow,

"None other." She replied. The Governor took in the sight of Angela.

"You're the Black Rider? But you're just a little girl." The Governor spoke. Angela who was taken back by that comment popped her hip out and rested her hand on it.

"Beg Pardon? You wanna run that by me again?" Angela challenged. Not wanting to make the Black Rider angry, the Governor quickly corrected his statement.

"What I meant was that I simply thought you'd be on the older side." He answered.

"Sorry to disappoint you Governor." Angela answered; Obiwan who stood to the side of his Master let his eyes gently scanned over the fiery young woman dressed in black, they widened softly at recognition.

"It's her!" his mind screamed.

"As I was saying your highness," Qui Gon picked up, "You must leave with us." He told her.

"To leave this planet will bring great danger….." she paused then turned to a young handmaiden beside her, "to us all."

"We are brave your highness." The young handmaiden replied.

"If you wish to leave your Highness, it must be now." Qui Gon informed. The Queen looked up to Qui Gon

"Then I shall go and plead our case to the Senate." The Queen firmly answered before turning to the governor,

"Be careful Governor!" The Queen spoke then was led off by the Captain who followed Qui Gon through the large doors into the room that held the transport. Angela who stayed up front but was off to the side glanced over to a group of droids who were guarding a small group of men.

"We'll need to free those pilots." The Captain informed; Angela was getting ready to pull out her saber when a voice stopped her,

"I'll handle that." Obiwan spoke while immediately walking over to the group, Angela watched him as he left. Obiwan could feel the eyes of the girl known as the Black Rider on him. It took all the strength he had to not look back at her. Qui Gon was met halfway toward the ship by a droid.

"Halt! Where are you taking these people?" it asked.

"I'm an Ambassador for Chancellor Valorum. I'm taking these people to Corescant." Qui Gon replied seriously.

"Where are you taking them?" The droid repeated its question.

"To Corescant." Qui Gon answered.

"Corescant….Uhhh…that doesn't compute.…I…Uhhh…your under arrest!" The Droid pulled his gun out on Qui Gon who instantly took out his saber and cut down the droid. At this, the droids in the room began to open fire upon the group. Qui Gon blocked all shots and took all droids near him. Obiwan jumped into action and began freeing the pilots that were being held by the other group of droids. Angela, of course, threw herself right into the battle.

"Get the Queen on board!!" Angela called over to the Captain who without hesitation led the Queen and her handmaidens onto the large vessel. Obiwan who had just struck down the last droid over by the pilots called to the men sitting on the floor.

"Go!" he ordered before he ran back over to where his Master and the Black Rider stood fighting off droids. The pilots quickly boarded the ship as well. Obiwan turned around and cut down a droid behind him, when he felt another presence near him, he spun around quickly and brought his saber up high to bring down whoever it was. A Long silver blade met a cool blue lightsaber; they connected roughly, and both partners held on to their weapon. Obiwan stared in shock at the Black Rider, their weapons were positioned in the shape of a X. Angela who realized who it was, quickly pulled back and ran onto the ship. Obiwan followed close behind. Once Obiwan was on board the ship's door sealed shut and the pilots up in the control room pulled the ship off the ground and flew it into the sky. Obiwan was hooking his saber back on his hip when he entered the control room. His master was already there.

"There's the blockade!" The pilot informed, and at that moment the ship's that had formed the large blockade began firing upon their ship. One shot hit right on, and it shook the ship completely, a red light went off.

"The Shield Generator's been hit!" the pilot exclaimed. Obiwan went and took a seat in a small chair by a screen and looked out on the ship's generator which was now being fixed by the droids that they had brought with them. One by one the droids were being shot off.

"We're losing droids fast." Obiwan stated.

"If those droids don't fix that generator, we'll be sitting ducks!" The Captain spoke. After a few more seconds, green lights flashed.

"The power's back! That little droid did it!" The pilot exclaimed happily before he immediately called out orders, "Prepare for light speed, we're getting out of here!" And with that said the ship took off into the bright lights of light speed.

"We don't have enough power to get to Corescant. The Hyperdrive is leaking fast." The pilot informed.

"We'll have to make a stop along the way for repairs then." Qui Gon stated.

"Here Master, Tattooine. It's a small planet, the Trade Federation won't find the Queen there." Obiwan informed.

"How do you know they won't look for her?" the Captain asked.

"It's controlled by the Hutts." Qui Gon casually replied.

'You can't take a royal highness there, the Hutts are Gangsters, if they discover her," Qui Gon quickly jumped in,

"It be no different if we were to land on a planet controlled by the Federation. Only the Hutts aren't looking for her, which gives us the Advantage." Qui Gon explained before he and turned on his feet and left the control room; Obiwan just a few steps behind him.

(Switching to Angela's P.O.V)

Angela leaned up against a wall of the ship, her arms crossed over her chest. The young Queen sat in the center at the far back of the room in a chair, her handmaidens surrounded her. Angela looked over at the young Queen

"There's something off about you." She noted in her mind. Angela turned her head and the sound of footsteps and watched as the Captain, Qui Gon, and Obiwan enter the room; a very dirty droid trailed behind the group of men. The three men went and stood in front of the young Queen, the captain began speaking. Angela caught only his first few words before she felt eyes upon her. Glancing up from behind her hood, she caught the Young man called Obiwan staring at her. She met his gaze with an intense one of her own, they held each other's stare for almost two minutes.

"Without a doubt your highness, had it not been for this brave little droid we would not be standing here today." The captain finished his speech and Angela looked away towards the Queen.

"It is to be commended then. What's its number?" The Queen asked. The captain leaned down to the droid who began giving off a few beeps.

"R2D2 your Highness." The captain answered, The Queen smiled softly at the little droid.

"Thank you R2D2….Padme!" The queen called. Angela raised an eyebrow at that name, and a young handmaiden stepped forward. Angela stared intensely at the young girl, the familiar brown eyes, and brown hair; Angela smirked underneath her hood and softly shook her head.

"Clean this droid off as best as you can. It deserves our gratitude." The Queen ordered. Padme led the small droid towards the back of the room, and Qui Gon stepped forward.

"Your majesty we need to stop at a planet called Tattooine to make necessary repairs to our ship." Qui Gon informed

"I do not agree with this your majesty." The Captain spoke up.

"You must trust my judgment your highness." Qui Gon spoke. Angela watched as Padme silently left the room, R2D2 following right behind her. Angela was getting ready to push herself off the wall to follow the young handmaiden but froze when a voice addressed her.

"What do you think Black Rider?" The Queen asked. Angela looked up at the Queen, and felt every other eye in the room on her. Angela thought about the question for a few seconds before she pushed herself off the wall and took a few steps toward the door. She shrugged her shoulders,

"What other choice do we have?" Angela asked; right before she left the room she paused in the doorway and looked back over her shoulder. "I trust the Jedi." She added then left without another word.


	23. Chapter23:Interrogation or Introduction

CHAPTER 23: An Interrogation? Or an Introduction?

Angela found the girl named Padme sitting on a stool inside a small compartment. She was busy cleaning off the droid called R2D2. Angela watched her silently; Padme didn't notice Angela's sudden appearance.

"Having fun?" Angela spoke up; Padme jumped at the voice then turned to Angela in shock.

"Still jumpy huh? You know I could understand the first few times Padme, but by now I would've thought that you would be use to this by now." Angela playfully spoke; she smirked softly under her hood.

"Must you keep popping up randomly like this?" Padme asked, while turning back to her work.

"First off it's not random, I always have a reason for something, and it's not my fault that I was trained to neither be seen nor heard by anyone." Angela replied defensively before she added in a whisper "your Highness." Padme's head snapped back at Angela, her mouth open slightly.

"What you thought I couldn't tell?" Angela asked quite amused at Padme's reaction.

"How did you figure…" She began Angela laughed softly,

"Remember Padme, I met you before you became a Queen." Angela reminded.

"Oh….right…" Padme replied awkwardly before she looked down for a few seconds then back up at Angela. The two young women stared at each other before they both began giggling.

"I can't believe I forgot about that." Padme stated; Angela smiled, walked over and kneeled down next to her. Picking up an extra rag Angela helped Padme clean off the Droid.

"You've been busy, it's all good." Angela answered.

"No.…no it's not. You've done so much for myself…and for my people. And when you came to warn me about this whole thing, I refused to believe you." Padme declared softly.

"Hey don't worry about that. It's all in the past. Right now we need to focus on the future, not on what did or should've happened." Angela smiled gently at Padme, who returned the smile,

"Well you still saved my life once. And because of that, you have my trust." Padme spoke, "I will not ever doubt you again Black Rider." Padme promised. Angela gave her a soft nod and rose to her feet.

"Oh and by the way, call me Angela." Angela smiled at Padme one last time before she left the room. Angela walked around the ship before she found another small compartment that looked like a storage room of some kind. Being curious, Angela entered and looked about the room; shelves covered the walls and held all sorts of things and supplies.

"I wonder if they have a computer or a lap top of some type." Angela murmured as she browsed the shelves. Angela looked up above her head and smiled.

"There you are!" she whispered as she spotted the small electronic. Angela stood on her toes and reached up her fingers couldn't even brush the bottom of the top shelf.

"Ahh but why do they have to put it up so high?" She groaned. Angela looked around the room and searched for something to stand on. There was a small stool tucked away in a corner; Angela quickly set it up and stood on top of it. Now when she reached up, her fingers could brush the lap top,

"Come on…..come on!!" Angela mumbled as she lifted herself up on her tip toes. Her hand was able to grasp hold of the side of lap top. As Angela began pulling the object close to her, Angela felt the ship suddenly jerk forward; Angela lost her balance and tumbled off the stool.

"Ahh!!" she yelped in surprise as she fell backwards. A strong pair of arms caught Angela as she fell from the stool. Automatically, Angela reached a hand back to catch herself and instead wrapped her arm behind the neck of a young man. Angela's hood fell off her head, exposing her long strawberry blonde hair and masked face. The pair of arms that caught Angela gently wrapped around her waist; Angela looked up into the face of Obiwan. His deep blue-green eyes stared deeply into Angela's. They were both silent for a few seconds before Angela spoke up.

"You know we really must stop running into each other like this." She spoke; Obiwan smiled softly and nodded his head.

"I was just about to say the same thing." Angela felt a smile pull at her lips, and without another word, Angela pulled away from his arms.

"Nice catch by the way." She added before turning back to the shelves.

"Here, let me."Obiwan politely offered and reached up and pulled the lap top down for Angela; he held it out to her, and she greatly accepted it.

"Show off," Angela grumbled playfully; Obiwan chuckled, "But thank you." Angela finished. Angela walked over to a small table in the far back and sat down. Obiwan followed.

"May I know your name?" he asked, Angela froze and looked up into his beautiful eyes; her eyes narrowed mischievously,

"Is this an interrogation?" She asked; he smirked and took a seat in front of her.

"I like to call it an introduction." He replied; Angela cocked her head to the side at that answer then laughed softly.

"If you say so." Angela replied, "Uh….I'm Angela." She extended her hand politely over the table Obiwan smiled and took it within his own,

"Obiwan Kenobi" He finished giving his name and gently shook Angela's hand. Angela pulled her hand back and began messing with the lap top. She opened up the screen and set the small computer up in front of her.

"You carry quite an interesting weapon." Obiwan stated; Angela looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What, my saber?" she asked, then shrugged her shoulders while looking back down at the lap top; "It gets the job done." she answered.

"It's capable of withstanding the blow of a lightsaber." Obiwan spoke in awe.

"Yes I know. I designed it that way." Angela murmured before she began typing something on the keypad; now it was Obiwan's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"You made your weapon all by yourself?"He asked.

"You sound surprised." Angela casually answered.

"Indeed I am. Don't you know that a lightsaber is capable of cutting through any material known to man?" He questioned; Angela kept her eyes fixed on the computer screen, but she nodded her head.

"Yes, I am very well aware of what a lightsaber can do." She replied.

"Then you can surly see where I am coming from. The only thing that is able to hold out against a lightsaber, is another lightsaber; and you weapon well…..it isn't that." Obiwan stated; Angela paused at the lap top and looked up at Obiwan.

"No, you're right. My weapon isn't a lightsaber, it's just a saber." Angela spoke her voice sounding slightly irritated.

"Then how is it…." Angela leaned over toward Obiwan and quickly jumped in before he could finish his question,

"Because my saber was forged out of the parts of a lightsaber. So if you really think about it, my saber and your lightsaber aren't really all that different; the only thing that separates the two is that yours glows and mine doesn't." Angela finished her explanation then sat back in her chair and began typing again; Obiwan's mouth was left agape.

"How did you manage to come by those parts?" He asked softly; Angela groaned in annoyance.

"Why should that matter to you?" She replied; her eyes were starting to narrow as she stared at the computer screen. "You know this went well at first but now this guy is getting on my nerves!" Angela whispered inside her head

"For you to be able to get those parts means that you have to have some sort of connection with a Jedi." Obiwan explained; Angela rolled her eyes.

"That's what you think." Angela grumbled; Obiwan's eyes narrowed softly as well.

"Fine, if you're not going to answer that, then at least tell me this. Why do you wear that mask?" He asked; Angela turned off the lap top and slammed the screen down hard.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" she snapped, her voice rising in anger. Angela rose to her feet, and stormed out of the small storage room.

"Can you believe that guy? ' It's not an interrogation it's called an introduction.' BULL!!" Angela swore inside her head. Angela walked back into the room where Padme still sat and worked. She was talking to JarJa, and was close to being finished with R2D2.

"You're a Gungin aren't you?" Padme asked, JarJa nodded his head.

"Uh huh." He agreed.

"How'd you end up here with us?" Padme asked; Angela simply stood in the doorway of the room and listened.

"It all started with me'sa up looking about for morning munchies, then BOOM, me'sa was grabbing that Jedi, and getting very scared. Me'sa was very, very scared." JarJa explained he laughed softly, and Padme smiled. Angela raised her left up and lightly knocked on the doorway. Padme and JarJa turned to see Angela in the doorway.

"Mind if I come in?" Angela asked, Padme shook her head,

"No please join us Angela." Padme invited, JarJa looked shocked.

"You'sa called Angela?" He asked, Angela smiled and nodded.

"Yes." She replied then took a seat by Padme.

"Ooo dat's a pretty name." JarJa commented.

"Thank you." Angela answered politely. Padme looked up from her work and stared at Angela,

"Everything alright? You seem a bit……tense." Padme softly stated. Angela looked over to Padme, then sighed

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm just a little bit aggravated." Angela replied; Padme's brows furrowed softly.

"Why?" she asked curiously; Angela shook her head,

"That young Jedi. He's too nosey for his own good." Angela grumbled; Padme started giggling.

"What's so funny? I can't see the amusement in this" Angela asked a small smile pulling at her lips.

"You are." Padme answered. Angela raised an eyebrow,

"I'm sorry; I didn't realize I came across as the _funny_ type." Angela grumbled sarcastically.

"What exactly was the young Jedi doing?" Padme asked.

"He's persistent. He kept asking questions and would push for answers." Angela replied.

"And that bothers you?" Padme asked, Angela nodded

"Yes! Why am I any of his concern?" Angela asked Padme; Padme smiled before she began to giggle again.

"Maybe he's interested in you?" Padme suggested;

"What?!" Angela exclaimed, "No, no, no, we don't even know each other." Angela stated; Padme shrugged her shoulders.

"Honestly Angela, does a man ever have to actually know a woman to be interested in her?" Padme inquired; Angela paused at that.

"……..Touché…" Angela murmured, Padme smiled, and leaned over to Angela

"Perhaps you should give him a chance Angela." Padme teased; Angela snorted,

"Padme please, I'm not going to get…." Angela paused to search for a word, "….involved with a Jedi." Angela bluntly stated.

"Why not? He's handsome." Padme winked; Angela smiled and giggled softly before nodding her head,

"Yes he is. But that's not the point."Angela spoke.

"Then what is?" Padme questioned,

"Padme, I've got 99 problems on my hands at the moment, and a guy isn't going to be one of them." Angela answered.

"Ok. If that's how you want it." Padme murmured softly, Angela smirked then shook her head as she rose to feet.

"Done!" Padme exclaimed softly and sat back to observe her work; R2D2 looked shiny and new, and he beeped happily at the feeling of being clean.

"Your welcome." Padme replied. Angela smiled then extended her hand down to help Padme to her feet. Padme took hold of Angela's hand and pulled herself to her feet.

"Thank you Angela." Padme spoke graciously; Angela nodded her head and smirked,

"Hey what are friends for?" Angela answered; a full smile bloomed across both of their faces at that statement. And both knew that on that day, a lifelong friendship had been born.


	24. Chapter 24: The Woman behind the Mask

CHAPTER 24: The Woman behind the mask

Angela felt a sudden dropping feeling in her stomach, she looked at Padme,

"We must be landing." Angela stated, Padme nodded her head in agreement.

"I must go speak with the Queen." Padme murmured softly; Angela looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, Padme playfully smacked Angela on her arm.

"Oh you know what I mean!" Padme exclaimed softly, before she quickly walked off, JarJa followed right behind her, as did R2D2. Angela laughed quietly before she began thinking.

"What am I going to do now?" she asked herself. Angela bit her lip in thought before she started pacing back in forth. Reaching up to her neck she undid her cloak and shrugged it off her shoulders. A chill ran down her spine at the sudden lack of heat and Angela realized how cold it was inside the ship. Walking over to a small chair, Angela draped her cloak over its back, then she reached down and unhooked her saber; placing it across the arms of the chair.

"I'm going out." She told herself, "...and I need to look….normal." With hesitant hands, Angela brought her hands up to her face and removed her black mask. After dropping it on top of her little pile of belongings, Angela suddenly felt very exposed. Shaking the feeling off, Angela swiftly made her way over to the ship's door. Glancing out a small window, Angela looked at the area called Tattooine; it was nothing but sand and rock. Once Angela felt the ship touch the ground, Angela quickly opened the ship's door, and watched as it lowered to a ramp. A hot gust of wind raced up to meet Angela as she quickly made her way down and stepped outside into the blazing hot sun. Not wanting anyone to notice her disappearance, Angela quickly set off in the direction where she could see small structures of civilization.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Switching to Obi's P.O.V)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obiwan kneeled by the generator, screwing and adjusting some lose parts. Qui Gon entered a small door dressed in an old grey poncho; Obiwan looked up and rose to his feet.

"The entire Hyperdrive is gone Master, we're going to need a new one." Obiwan informed; Qui Gon sighed,

"That's going to complicate things." Qui Gon stated, "I'm going out to retrieve the parts that we need. I need you to stay here and make sure that no one here tries to communicate with anyone outside this ship. If a message comes in, make no response." Qui Gon ordered; Obiwan nodded his head.

"Yes Master." He answered; Qui Gon then left without another word. Obiwan went back to work on the machine in front of him. He worked on it for another ten minuets before he paused and took a break. He took a seat at a table and began thinking. Though he had a lot of thoughts running through his mind, the main thing he couldn't seem to not think about was Angela.

"Why am I so drawn to her?" he asked himself. Despite the fact that it goes against the code for a Jedi to hold any feelings for someone, especially if it was a member of the opposite sex, Obiwan had his share of experiences with women.

"But Angela's different." He noted in his head, "She's not like any other women I've known. Or any women in fact..."

Obiwan was so dumbfounded over Angela it was almost frustrating. Apart of him wanted to get close to Angela, but he knew that that can't happen, or that it wouldn't happen. Shaking his head, he rose from his seat and set off to confront the mystery that was Angela. He looked around the entire ship, but Angela wasn't anywhere in sight. When he walked through the main room of the ship, he passed by a chair and a flash of silver caught his eye. He stopped in his track and turned to the chair. Reaching a hand down, he ran it over Angela's belongings.

"She left her cloak, saber and….."Obiwan paused; then moved his hand over to the smallest possession of Angela's. With a tender hand, he lifted her black mask up, and turned it over in his hands.

"She went out." He whispered; after placing the mask back down where he found it, he spun on his feet and left the room. Obiwan headed into the back of the ship where door of the ship laid wide open; he gazed outside.

"She must've left right when we landed." Obiwan spoke inside his head; he shook his head in amazement

"What are you up to Angela?" he whispered out loud, before he turned around and went back inside.

(Switching to Angela's P.O.V)

The Sun beat down on Angela's fair skin; she could feel it burning slowly.

"I'm so going to get sunburned!" she whispered out loud as she finally entered the small city on Tattooine. The streets were bustling about with so much activity; Angela was practically getting trampled. Markets took up both sides of the streets, and shops were all around as well. Angela pushed her way through the current of people and went to stand under the shade of a tent. Angela let her eyes travel all around her; she stood there in the shade for ten minuets, letting herself cool down and catch her breath. When she looked back over to the place she entered from, her eyes landed on a group of weary travelers; a tall man with a beard, a young girl, a droid and a funny looking creature; Angela's eyes widened in recognition

"Ah, looks like I wasn't the only one who wanted to take a stroll." Angela thought to herself; she watched Qui Gon lead Padme, JarJa and R2D2 right by her and enter a small shop on a corner. Angela waited a few minuets before she too headed over and entered the tiny shop. She waited in the doorway and observed Qui Gon who was explaining to a flying blue creature that he needed parts for their ship.

"Ah Nubian! Yes we have loads of parts for that kind of ship, follow me to the back." The blue shop owner started flying off; Qui Gon turned to JarJa who held a small cylinder in his hands. Qui Gon snatched the part away.

"Don't touch anything." He ordered JarJa before he and R2 walked off following the blue owner. JarJa stuck his tongue out and made a ridiculous face at Qui Gon's back; Angela smiled and began to laugh. Padme turned and looked at Angela who gracefully walked in.

"How's it going Padme?" Angela asked; Padme's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Do I know you?" she asked, Angela nodded her head slowly,

"Yes, you're just use to seeing me walk around with a saber and mask." Padme's hands flew to her mouth and her brown eyes widened.

"Angela?" she whispered, Angela smiled and nodded.

"Dear Lord!" Padme exclaimed breathlessly, then she smiled and added, "You have freckles?" she asked. Angela raised her left hand up to her cheek and rubbed it softly; Angela never really liked her freckles, they made her feel like a young child. On both her cheeks, and the bridge of her nose, her skin was lightly kissed with freckles

"Yes I have freckles." Angela confirmed dully.

"That's adorable!" Padme giggled softly and walked over to her friend; "I don't see many girls with freckles, that's a rare trait where I'm from." Padme explained, Angela smiled softly at Padme.

"So you're picking up parts for the ship?" Angela asked, Padme nodded,

"Yup. But what are you doing here?" Padme asked

"I needed to stretch my legs, so I went for a…..walk." Angela replied; Padme raised a brow,

"A walk?" Padme repeated, Angela nodded

"Yes. A walk Padme. If you haven't noticed I'm not the type to sit still for long." Angela explained, Padme giggled,

" Oh no, I have noticed." Both girls began to giggle softly; then they began gaze around the interesting shop. A small voice spoke up from behind them.

"Are you two angels?" Angela turned her head to see a small boy sitting on the counter gazing curiously at her and Padme; Padme was gazing at the boy as well, she smiled and spoke up.

"What?" Padme asked before glancing back at Angela who moved to stand next to Padme.

"Angels. I heard some pilots talking about them. They're the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy. They live on the moons of Diego…I think…" he answered; Angela and Padme smiled at the small boy.

"You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?" Padme asked.

"Pilots come in here all the time and I hear their stories. I'm a pilot you know." He proudly stated, Angela and Padme quickly glanced at each other before the looked back at the boy.

"You're a pilot?" Padme asked.

"Yup, all my life and one day I'm going fly away from this planet." He confirmed,

"Impressive." Angela commented.

"You can't leave now?" Padme wondered

"Well not exactly, see my mom lost a bet with Gruda, so I'm stuck working for him until our debt can be repaid." The boy explained,

"You're a slave?" Padme asked; then young boy eyes narrowed,

"I'm a person and my name is Anakin." He replied defensively

"I'm sorry. I don't fully understand this place is strange to me." Padme explained; Anakin's eyes softened immensely.

"It's ok." Anakin spoke and gave her a small smile. Qui Gon immerged from the back of the store,

"We're leaving. JarJa come!" he ordered; Qui Gon was just about to walk right by Angela when he stopped and stared down at her. She looked up at him,

"How's it going Qui Gon?" she asked, his eyes widened as he realized who she was. Qui Gon reached a hand out and took Angela by her upper arm; without another word Qui Gon pulled Angela along with him.

"Oh ok looks like I'm going this way." She grumbled; behind her she heard the young boy called Anakin laugh softly, looking behind her shoulder she smiled,

"Nice meeting you!" Angela called back before Qui Gon dragged her out of the store. Padme headed over to the door before she turned around and smiled at Anakin.

"I'm glad to have met you Anakin." She spoke, before she left the store; Anakin quickly called back,

"I'm glad to have met you too!"

Qui Gon pulled Angela through the crowd of people before he came to a stop at a brick wall off to the side. Pushing her against the wall he firmly began speaking,

"What are you doing out here?" Qui Gon asked, "Don't you know how foolish it is walking alone in an unfamiliar place?" He scolded; Angela glared up at him,

"Not like I haven't done it before. And I know how to take of myself Qui Gon." She argued; Padme and JarJa stood off to the side watching the scene.

"From now on, you tell me when you're leaving and where you're going to. No more of this running off. We can't afford to lose anyone right now." Angela stood to her full height at that order,

"With all due respect Master Qui Gon, I don't take orders." Angela stared him hard in the eyes to make her point clear, "The Queen may have put you in charge of looking out for the group, but I was never apart of that. I don't need someone telling me what to do, I act alone." Angela made a move to push pass Qui Gon but he caught her arm.

"You're staying with us. I won't allow you to walk the streets by yourself." Qui Gon began to move again, pulling Angela behind him.

"Uh no! I don't think so!" Angela dug her heels into the dirt ground, "Listen Qui Gon, I don't know who you think you are but you've got three seconds to let go." Angela warned; Qui Gon turned and looked down on her,

"No you listen to me. If you wanna fight with me on this fine, but I can promise you that I'll win. Now you can either listen to my instructions and follow them, or I can sling you over my shoulder and carry you around for the rest of the time we're in town. Your choice." Qui Gon waited for Angela's reply. She roughly pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"I don't know who's more infuriating; you or your apprentice!" Angela hissed through her teeth. Angela stomped off, Qui Gon and the rest of their group followed. They walked down the market street in silence, or at least it was silent until JarJar had to go and be himself. No one was really paying attention to what was happening, one minuet, JarJar was next to them, next thing they knew, he was behind them on the ground with a scary looking thug on top of him. Angela turned around getting ready to take on the creature that was getting ready to break JarJar in half when the little boy Anakin showed up. He began speaking a language unknown to Angela, and the creature got up and left. Angela smiled at Anakin and walked over to him, as did Qui Gon and Padme.

"Hi." He greeted Qui Gon,

"Hello there." Qui Gon replied,

"Your friend here was about to be turned into orange goo. He picked a fight with a Dug; an especially dangerous Dug called Sebula." Anakin explained

"Me'sa no fight, dat's da last thing me'sa want." JarJar replied defensively.

"Nevertheless, the boy is right; you were getting into trouble," Qui Gon scolded, then he turned to Anakin and gave him a small smile, "Thank you my young friend."

Angela, Qui Gon, the rest of their small group and now Anakin spent the afternoon walking around to different stores buying small parts for their ship. When they stopped by an old friend on Anakin's they were warned about a slight problem.

"Ooh Sandstorm coming Ani, better get home quick." An old woman warned.

"Where you guys headed?" Anakin asked.

"We have a ship lying on the outskirts of the city." Padme explained.

"You'll never reach the outskirts in time. Sandstorms our very, very dangerous. Come on, you can stay at my place!" Anakin offered; Angela looked to Padme who looked back. The two girls gave each other a soft shrug then followed the small boy though the town to his house; Qui Gon came as well. When they arrived at Anakin's house they hurriedly went inside.

"Mom, mom! I'm home!" Anakin called; JarJar looked around the small house,

"Dis looks cozy." He mumbled softly; Anakin's mother appeared coming out of the kitchen.

"Oh my Ani, what's this?" she asked looking at the group of people.

"These are my friends Mom." Anakin explained; Qui Gon politely stepped up and began introducing everyone.

"I'm Qui Gon Jinn, this is JarJar, Angela and R2D2." He spoke; Anakin quickly added,

"That's Padme." He stated pointing to Padme who stood by Angela.

"Why are they here Anakin?" his mother asked.

"Sandstorm Mom." Anakin explained before he ran up to Padme and took her by the hand.

"Come on! Let me show you Threepio." He spoke excitedly as he began to lead Padme off into another room; smiling Padme turned around and grabbed Angela, pulling her along as well. Qui Gon watched them leave before he turned to Anakin's mother.

"Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter." Shmi Skywalker smiled;

"I'll never get use to Anakin's surprises." She spoke softly; Qui Gon smiled softly,

"He's a very special boy." He stated; Shmi turned to him with a look like he had just discovered a great secret,

"Yes, I know." She replied.

Inside another room Anakin was preparing to show off his droid; Angela and Padme stood to the side watching him closely. When Anakin pulled back an old sheet off a great bulge of parts on a table, the body of a droid was revealed; he looked fine except for the fact he was missing an eye.

"Isn't he great?" Anakin exclaimed proudly, "He's not finished yet." He added

"He wonderful!" Padme commented in awe,

"You really like him? He's a protocol droid, I built him to help mom." Anakin spoke while he flicked a switch on the droid's chest and the droid came to life.

"Oh! Oh my…it's dark in here!" the droid exclaimed.

"Ooops!" Anakin mumbled before he quickly picked up a golden eye on the table and put on the droid.

"Oh that's better," the droid sat up, "How do you do? I am See-Threepio Human Cyborg Relations. How might I serve you?" he politely asked.

"He's perfect." Padme complimented while smiling down at Anakin.

"He's really impressive Anakin. I'm surprised you built him all by yourself. That's incredible!" Angela added.

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet. After the storm's over I'll show you two my racer. I'm also building a Podracer!" he proudly added; both girls smiled at the young boy's enthusiasm. R2D2 begins to let out a flurry of bleeps, Threepio gazed down at the small droid.

"I beg you pardon, what do you mean naked?" he asked; R2 beeped again.

"My parts are showing? Oh my goodness, how embarrassing!" he grumbled; Angela, Padme, and Anakin burst out laughing.


	25. Chapter 25: Decode

CHAPTER 25: Decode 

~~~~On Corescant, looking out from a balcony over the large city~~~~

Sidious and Maul stood side by side.

"Tatooine is sparsely populated. If the trace was correct, I will find them quickly Master." Maul spoke.

"Move against the Jedi first…then you will have no trouble taking the Queen back to Naboo; where she WILL sign the treaty." Sidious explained, Maul turned to his Master

"At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge." Sidious smirked.

"You have been well trained my young apprentice, they will be no match for you..." Sidious paused, "One more thing my apprentice," Sidious addressed Maul;

"Master?" he waited for what Sidious had to say.

"I've just been informed by the Viceroy of a potential threat to our plan." Sidious began; Maul forehead winkled in thought.

"What's the threat?" he asked, Sidious turned to Maul,

"It's not a _What_ my apprentice, it's a _Who._" Sidious explained then took a quick pause: "I have heard about this Black Rider figure; she seems strong and well trained. She helped the Queen escape and is traveling with her now." Maul nodded his head in understanding

"The Black Rider; the Guardian of Naboo some people call her, yes…I have heard bout her…." He murmured softly, "What will you have me do?" Maul asked; Sidious smirked,

"She poses a threat to not only our plan, but to the Sith's in general. We must remove all threats from our path. You, my young apprentice, must kill the Black Rider." Sidious finished speaking; Maul smirked as well before he gave a low bow to his Master,

"It will be done." he assured; before he spun on his heel and walked off to start his mission….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Back on Tatooine~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At dinner, everyone sat down to enjoy the meal that was prepared. During it, many discussions were brought up; the main one, a plan to get the money needed to but the parts. The Young boy Anakin suggested using his Podracer in the race that coming up in a day; his mom at first was very resistant to the idea, but gave in and agreed to let her son help the travelers out. Almost immediately all pitched in to help finish Anakin's racer; Angela, Padme Qui Gon, even JarJar worked all evening on it; they worked until the sun set below the horizon. Once it was too dark to continue working, Qui Gon called everyone inside to rest up for the next day. Shmi offered Padme and Angela a medium sized cot to share in a guest room; both girls appreciated the kind woman's offer. Shmi led the girls into the room they would spend the night in; Angela and Padme went straight to bed. Padme choose the side of the cot closest to the wall; Angela likes being on the outside anyway. Before Angela closed her tired eyes, a familiar feeling that Angela hadn't felt in months, came over her as she fell asleep…….

During the night, beyond the outskirts of the city, a sinister spacecraft landed high up on a cliff. Maul walks out and heads over to the edge of the cliff and looks out. He can see city lights; pushing a button on his electronic wristband, three probe droids fly out of his ship and set off towards the city. Maul watches them fade out into the night……….

Angela's eyes snap open and she quickly sits up on the cot; Padme slept peacefully next to her. Angela's breathing was quick and her heart pounded within her chest. Silently, Angela pulled herself to her feet, being careful to not disturb her sleeping friend. Walking over to a small open window Angela gazed out into the night; it was still pretty dark. A cold feeling ran down Angela's spine and her throat closed up,

"Maul's here….." she whispered, "I can feel him." Turning away from the window, Angela made her way over to a small desk in the corner; rummaging through some things Angela found some paper and a writing utensil. Leaning over the desk, Angela began to scribble down some words on the paper; her hand shook softly.

"Padme," the note began,

"Something important came up and I had head back to the ship immediately. I won't be back for the race, so don't wait for me. Tell Anakin that I wish him the best of luck!

Signed, Angela"

Quickly checking over her message, Angela went and gently placed it beside Padme's sleeping form. Not wasting another second, Angela walked back over to the window and hopped up onto the ledge and pulled herself through. Her boots touch the sandy ground silently and Angela swiftly took off into the town. She knew her way out of the area; and once Angela passed into the desert lands leading out to the outskirts, Angela took off running. The night was cool, so it was easy for Angela to keep her fast pace. Angela reached Queen's ship within 20 minutes; to her surprise, the ramp was still lowered so Angela was capable of boarding much easily then she had thought. Inside the ship, everything was dark and quiet; everyone seemed to be sleeping. Angela silently made her way around till she found her pile of belongings she had left behind. Angela reached for her stuff but froze,

"Wait a second…." She mumbled to herself, "Where's my mask?" she asked before she began looking through her stuff and checking the floor. Angela was on her hands and knees feeling around when a voice jolted her unexpectedly.

"Looking for something?" Angela froze her movement and her eyes closed then opened again before she looked up at Obiwan who staring at her while leaning up against a wall on the other side of the room. Angela sat back on her knees,

"I might be…." She grumbled, Obiwan smirked then walked over to Angela. He held something out to her; her eyes widened and she jumped to her feet and snatched at the object he held in his hands. Before Angela could touch it, he pulled it back,

"Now that's not very polite right there." He casually spoke, Angela glared at him,

"Give it here Obiwan." Angela demanded; Obiwan flashed her black mask that he held in his hands before Angela before he put it inside his Jedi robes.

"I will, on two conditions." He answered; Angela crossed her arms over her chest and took two menacing steps towards him till they stood toe to toe.

"Fine I'll play your little game Jedi," she hissed, "What are your conditions?" she asked.

"One, you ask the right way," he began, "And two…." He paused for a few seconds,

"Yes?" Angela wondered,

"You join me for a drink." He finished explaining his conditions; Angela's mouth dropped open slightly,

"Your kidding right?" Obiwan shook his head, Angela laughed softly in irritation.

"So wait. Let me get this straight, you jack my mask, then refuse to give it back unless….." Angela laughed more harder then shook her head, "You've got a lot of nerve young Jedi." Angela spoke while putting a hand on her hip.

"Well what's it gonna be?" Obiwan asked; Angela stared him hard in his eyes before she groaned and rolled her eyes,

"Fine." She answered while walking past him and headed to the ships tiny kitchen. A table set up against the wall already had two glasses ready on top. Angela quickly walked over and took a seat in one of the chairs; Obiwan was right behind her.

"You've had a lot of time planning this haven't you?" Angela asked her eyebrow rose at him; he smirked as he took his seat.

"Let's not worry about that." He answered before he reached across the table and picked up a glass; he brought it to his lips and took a sip. Angela simply sat and watched him. Raising his other hand up; he gave it a soft wave and the other glass rose into the air, he gave it a small push and sent it towards Angela slowly. Angela held her hand out and caught the glass gently; she hesitantly raised it to her mouth and took a small sip before placing the glass back down on the table.

"Alright Obiwan, what's this all about?" Angela asked; Obiwan softly placed his glass down on the table as well.

"Look Angela, we got off to a pretty bad start…..I'll take the blame for that," he began, "anyways I just want to start over." He sincerely spoke staring deeply into Angela's eyes. Angela sat back in her chair, and thought about his statement. After a few seconds of silence Angela gave a soft nod of her head and reached over and picked up her glass again.

"I'd like that." She softly answered, her eyes lowered to the table, so she didn't get to see Obiwan smile at her response.

"I'm glad to hear that." He spoke; Angela heard Obiwan move about, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Obiwan slide her mask across the table. Angela looked up, then reached a hand out and pulled her mask close to her and set in her lap.

"One thing I still can't figure out," Obiwan began talking, "Is why you feel the need to hide behind that." Angela looked Obiwan in the eyes,

"What makes you think I'm hiding?" Angela asked, Obiwan leaned in closer,

"Why else would you wear a mask?" Obiwan asked, Angela opened her mouth to reply but then softly closed it. She knew why she wore the mask, but explaining it to a Jedi was not something Angela felt comfortable doing.

"It makes me look intimidating?" she answered softly, lowering her eyes from Obiwan's intense stare. She heard him chuckle softly.

"Well that is a reason, but I don't think that's **the** reason." Obiwan spoke.

"You using your Jedi mind powers on me?" Angela asked her soft eyes narrowed gently in suspicion. Obiwan took another sip from his drink.

"They don't work on you." He replied, Angela's eyebrows rose slightly.

"They don't?" she repeated. Obiwan shook his head,

"I can read practically everyone's mind on this ship, or feel their emotions," he paused and looked into Angela's eyes, "but with you…….nothing." he explained, Angela feeling his intense stare on her face shyly looked down; Obiwan continued.

"It's so infuriating sometimes." His voice was so low it was almost a whisper; Angela bowed her head and softly smirked. Angela could feel Obiwan's eyes on her face; he watched Angela with intensity. Angela feeling his gaze looked up at him,

"Do you always stare like that?" Angela asked quietly; Obiwan, like he just came out of a trance, gently shook his head.

"Uh no actually…it's just," he paused; Angela looked sideways before back at him.

"It's just?" she pushed, Obiwan propped his elbows up on the table and cupped his hands.

"I'm just trying to figure you out." He answered. Angela leaned back in her chair.

"Figure me out? Obiwan, I'm a woman, not a puzzle." She sarcastically spoke, Obiwan smiled and chuckled.

"I very aware of that Angela. Puzzles, I can actually figure out." He replied teasingly; Angela couldn't resist and she too smiled and laughed softly.

"Well why are you trying to figure me out so desperately?" Angela questioned.

"You're a mystery." He replied, Angela felt her heat come to her cheeks and she softly looked down.

"Some mysteries in life aren't meant to be solved." Angela murmured,

"Why do you say that?" Obiwan asked curiously, he cocked his head to the side,

"It's better that way." Angela answered, "I'm not like most girls Obiwan….if you haven't already noticed." She softly added; Obiwan nodded his head before replying,

"I know Angela,….that's why I'm so drawn to you." He whispered; Angela felt her breath get caught in her throat, she looked over at Obiwan.

"…..that wasn't the answer I was expecting…" she thought quietly.

Angela rose to her feet; Obiwan taken back her sudden move, also rose to his feet. Angela stared at Obiwan and shook her head,

"No Obiwan, you shouldn't be….." her sentence broke off, Angela looked around, "Obiwan if you know what best for you, you'd stay away, and forget all about me." Angela gently warned; her voice sounded distressful. Obiwan's brows furrowed in confusion, he was getting ready to open his mouth to say something else but Angela quickly spun on her heel and fled the room.

"Angela!" he called after her; but Angela quickened her pace and ran to a small compartment on the ship. Inside was a tiny bed pushed up against the wall. She slid the door closed and locked it; a new feeling had arose deep within Angela, one that she was sure would haunt her for the rest of her life. Angela slowly trudged over to the bed and collapsed on it. Obiwan was the first person Angela has met since she came into this universe who actually wants to know who she is; deep down within Angela, she wants to know Obiwan as well

"No, I'm not going to get involved." Angela whispered determinedly


	26. Chapter 26: A Moment with a Jedi

CHAPTER 26: A moment with a Jedi

After Angela's conversation with Obiwan, she forced herself to get some sleep. She slept all through the rest of the night, and even the next morning. Angela awoke by a soft shake to her shoulder,

"Angela? Angela, wake up." It was Padme; Angela slowly opened her eyes to see Padme smiling down at her. Groaning Angela spoke up in a tired voice,

"What time is it….and how did you get in here?" she mumbled, Padme shrugged

"I've got my ways," Padme winked, "You've slept into the afternoon if that's what you're wondering." Padme replied teasingly; Angela sat up.

"Ugh I just didn't realize how tired I was…" Angela murmured softly, Angela thought about all the past events, her eyes widened.

"The race!" Angela exclaimed, "How did it go?" Angela asked hurriedly; Padme's smile bloomed across her face.

"Anakin did it. He won! We've got the parts! Qui Gon's apprentice is putting the parts on even as we speak. We'll be out of here in no time." Padme explained excitedly; Angela smiled,

"Oh that's wonderful!" Angela exclaimed quietly. Angela paused then bit her lip before asking,

"Was Qui Gon pissed off when he found out I left?" Angela wondered; Padme giggled

"Uh well……" Padme paused in mid sentence,

"Yup he's pissed!" Angela finished for her; both girls looked at each other before they cracked up laughing. Padme, who was kneeling at the side of the bed, rose to her feet and offered her hand. Angela accepted it without hesitation and was pulled to her feet.

"Come on, you've been asleep for hours, let's get you something to eat." Padme politely suggested,

"Sounds good to me." Angela replied.

Then both girls left the small sleeping quarter. Padme led the way into the ship's small kitchen; and just like how Obiwan had set things up the night before, Padme had already set up a small plate of fruit.

"Oh this looks promising." Said Angela, who laughed softly at her friend's kindness. Both girls sat down at the table; and Angela began eating.

"So, "Padme spoke up; Angela looked over to her friend. "Why exactly did you have to leave last night?" she asked.

"Oh….umm….." Angela sighed, "Padme, if I were to tell you, one: things would not make sense, and two: it's a little complicated to explain at the moment." Angela replied.

"Did you have a….hunch, or something?" Padme asked smiling softly; Angel laughed quietly and nodded her head

"Uh yeah….something like that;" Angela awkwardly answered, she paused for a few seconds before continuing, "I don't know how things are going to turn out, but I promise you Padme, I'll explain things to you when the time is right." Angela promised, Padme smiled and reached a hand over and placed it on Angela's that rested on the table.

"I'll hold you to that." She teased. Footsteps thumped across the floor, and both girls turned to see Obiwan walk into the kitchen. His eyes immediately landed on Angela who met his gaze in the doorway.

"Afternoon Angela; it's good to see your finally awake." He greeted with a soft smile, Angela gave him a smile in return.

"How's it going Obiwan?" she answered, lowering her gaze to her hands.

"Fine thank you; I'm sure you've been informed about Qui Gon's success with the ship?" he wondered; Angela nodded her head,

"Yes, Padme just finished telling me the news." Angela replied; Obiwan smirked,

"Speaking of my Master, when he gets back to the ship, he'd like a word with you." Angela groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Oh that's wonderful," she grumbled sarcastically, "I'll be looking forward to it." Obiwan and Padme laughed; Obiwan quickly gathered his wits,

"Well excuse me young ladies, but I've got some work that needs to be finished." Obiwan stated before he turned to Padme and bowed softly to her,

"Miss Padme," he spoke formally, then he looked to Angela, who raised her gaze to his face, and also bowed; giving her a small smile,

"Angela." he gently spoke; staring her deeply in the eyes before he turned on his heels and left the kitchen. Padme turned to Angela the moment he was gone; her brown eyes wide with excitement and her mouth was grinning like a child; Angela had a pretty good idea about what Padme was going to bring up

"Ok what's up with you and that Jedi?" she asked eagerly; Angela's mouth dropped open like she had just been accused of a crime.

"What are you talking about? There's nothing going on between me and him." Angela replied defensively.

"That didn't look like nothing to me." Padme wittily threw back; Angela felt heat rise to her cheeks.

"It's nothing!" Angela firmly repeated.

"Then why are you blushing??" Padme asked while laughing out loud. Angela brought a hand up to her face and lightly touched her cheek.

"Ah geeze….see?? Its stuff like this that make me wear the mask!" Angela lightly snapped;

"Come on face it Angela, you like him." Padme practically sang her statement to Angela, "And it's kinda obvious that he likes you too." Padme added. Angela rose for her seat at the table.

"I will not admit to such things. Especially ones that are far from the truth. Now, thank you for the fruit, it was good, but I've got….stuff…..I need to do; so I'll talk to you later." Angela gave her friend a small smile before she turned and walked out of the kitchen.

"Can you believe her?" Angela spoke inside her head, "I mean, why on Earth would I fall for a Jedi in the first place?" she grumbled; "…….I need my mask…" she whispered softly. Angela sought out her mask in the place she had spent the night in before; once Angela retrieved it, right away she put it on. Feeling more secure now that her face was hidden from view, Angela began to think about what her friend had said.

"I do not like Obiwan……." Angela paused, "……do I?" she asked herself uncertainly. She thought about the possibility for a second or so before she quickly pushed the idea out of her mind.

"No, no, no," she told herself, "Remember; you're not getting involved." She reminded herself. Feeling the need to walk around, Angela marched right on through the ship till she reached the outside. The hot sun came down on Angela's bare shoulders, back and arms as she descended the ramp; Angela took a seat right at the very bottom. The heat of the sun, and the silence of the world around her brought Angela a peaceful sensation; she closed her eyes enjoying the tranquility of the moment. Automatically, Angela began humming a soft familiar tune. After slowly opening her eyes again, Angela recognized the song; it was an old Spanish love song that sounded like a lullaby. Angela sadly smiled to herself,

"This was my song….." she whispered. In Angela's old life, she was what the people called a Music Lover, and singing was her biggest passion. But not a single song ever left her lips ever since she was taken from her planet. Thinking back to how she use to be before her world turned upside down, Angela sadly noted,

"I had almost forgotten everything in my past that made me who I was….."

No longer wanting to forget, Angela took a breath in and started humming her song again. Her simple notes soon turned into words; and Angela softly began to sing her most favorite song.

"Moon so bright, Night so fine….,"

Angela paused, trying to remember the next line,

"Keep your heart, here with mine,

Life's a dream, We are dreaming..."

As she softly sang the song, a small smile came to her lips as the music inside her head began to take over.

"Race the moon, Catch the wind,

Ride the Night to the end,

Seize the Day, stand up for the light…."

Her smile bloomed across her face as she began singing the chorus….

(Obiwan's P.O.V.)

"Why did I say that to Angela last night?" Obiwan asked himself as he walked through a hallway, "What was I thinking?" His conscious jumped in,

"You were thinking that she's the most beautiful and entrancing young woman you've ever met!" Obiwan thought about that for a second before mentally kicking himself.

"Control yourself! Remember, you're forbidden to possess feelings for anyone." Obiwan reminded himself,

"Especially for Angela…." He whispered quietly. Obiwan couldn't seem to figure out why he was so captivated by Angela; they rarely talked, and when they did, things normally went rough between them.

"But there's something about her…" he spoke inside his head, "….something special…. I can feel it."

When Obiwan passed into the main hallway of the ship, a gentle sound from a distance reached his ears and he stopped in his tracks. Curiosity quickly took over him and he followed the sound. As he got closer, the sound grew a bit louder and became more distinctive.

"Singing?" he asked himself. The soft voice led him over to the door leading outside; Obiwan silently stood in the doorway and looked out, his eyes scanning for the source of the voice. His eye immediately landed on a young woman who sat at the bottom of the ramp with her back facing towards him; she was dressed completely in black. Obiwan's heart leaped in his chest as he recognized who it was.

"Angela." He confirmed inside his mind. Obiwan, mesmerized by Angela's soft and gentle soprano voice, silently listened in. Hearing words leave her mouth, Obiwan detected something in her voice.

"…..She's upset…."he noted quietly in his mind. A strong urge to go over and comfort her came over Obiwan, but he resisted…..

(Angela's P.O.V)

With each line that she sang, the happy feeling that once engulfed Angela; grew to be a feeling of sadness,

"Though we know, we will never come again,

Where there is love, life begins;

Over, and over again….."

Angela's voice began to quiver slightly, and she began to feel a lump arise in her throat,

"Save the Night, save the Day,

Save the Love, come what may,

Love is worth, everything we pay…."

Angela's throat now closed up on her and she could no longer finish her song. Tears came to her eyes, and though she tried to blink them back, she felt two fall from her eyes; they trailed don her mask and slid off her chin. Angela took in a deep shuddering breath as she now fought to try to keep herself from breaking down into sobs. For the first time since she was brought into the universe, it deeply hit Angela how alone she really was. She no longer had a family, let alone a home, and the only friend she did have was a pacifistic Queen. Wrapping her arms around herself, Angela gazed solemnly out into the desert land.

"You sing beautifully." A gentle voice spoke from behind her. Angela jumped at the sudden noise and glanced over her shoulder; Obiwan stood at the very top of the ramp leaning against the doorframe of the ship. Angela quickly turned away from him and continued to stare silently ahead of her while trying to regain her composure. His footsteps could be heard from behind as he made his way down to where Angela sat; Obiwan then took a seat right beside her. Angela not wanting Obiwan to see her distressed face slightly turned her body away from him; Angela bowed her head and kept her gaze lowered at her hands that sat still in her lap. A warm, tender hand came up under and cupped Angela's right cheek; turning her head up to face Obiwan's. Angela hesitantly made eyes contact with him; under his stare, Angela felt like he could see right through her. Slowly reaching his other hand up to Angela's face, he gently removed her mask. Feeling her face being exposed, Angela pulled away from his touch; more tears welled up in her eyes. Looking away from Obiwan, Angela began to hastily brush the tears away,

"Obiwan," she gently spoke, her voice trembled softly, "This isn't a really good time." She explained; Obiwan then moved himself so he sat almost right in front of Angela; he watched silently as a tear slid down her face

"Hey," he gently spoke while reaching a hand up to her cheek, "What's wrong?" he asked caringly as he brushed the tear away with his thumb. Angela simply shook her head,

"Angela," Obiwan spoke, "…talk to me." He pleaded; Angela looked over and stared him deeply in his eyes; she let out a shuddering sigh,

"It's going to sound pathetic…" she whispered; Obiwan gave her a soft smile,

"Angela, I don't think there's anything that you could say that would even come close to being pathetic." He assured; Angela lowered her gaze,

"I guess I'm just feeling a little…..homesick." she murmured sadly; Obiwan dropped his hand from Angela's cheek to her left hand in her lap; his large hand covered her smaller one, Angela glanced up at him.

"Don't worry Angela; you'll be back home on Naboo in no time." He comforted; Angela shook her head,

"Naboo's not my home…." She murmured. Obiwan was taken back by that comment.

"It's not?" he asked; Angela once again shook her head, "Well then where are you from?" Obiwan asked curiously staring her deeply in the eyes. Angela took a deep breath in, and thought about her answer,

"Far away…" she softly replied, "On a planet called Earth." Obiwan's brows furrowed in deep thought.

"I'm not familiar with that planet." He stated, Angela sadly smiled,

"I wouldn't expect you to be, or anyone here for that matter." She answered.

"Where is it located? Beyond the Republic?" he asked

"Try more like the galaxy…" she casually corrected. Obiwan's eyes widened

"Are you saying…." He paused trying to find the right words, "You're from a different galaxy?" he spoke in disbelief; Angela nodded her head.

"How…." Obiwan began but couldn't finish his question,

"I was dragged away from my home, my planet." She answered; A sympathetic look came over Obiwan's handsome features,

"Oh Angela, I'm most sorry to hear that," he apologized, "By who exactly?" he wondered; Angela looked down quickly,

"Two Sith," her mind screamed, "Space Pirates." She lied knowing Obiwan wouldn't be able to tell if she told the truth or not,

"Oh yes..." he mumbled, "I have heard about a few cases involving space pirates like that." Angela sadly smiled,

"Yeah…"said Angela,

"No wonder you were upset, you've been through hell haven't you?" he compassionately stated, Angela looked back over to him,

"You have no idea…." She murmured; Obiwan gave Angela's hand a soft squeeze. Turning her attention onto the desert scene before them, Angela softly shook her head,

"I don't know exactly why I was upset," Angela took a deep breath in, "…it's just probably because," she paused and thought about her answer, "…suddenly, after looking back on how my life use to be to how it is now……I felt alone. And despite the fact that I've practically been alone for a year almost," she paused again, "I just can't stand being alone." She confided quietly; a tender warmth touched the right side of Angela's face; Obiwan had reached over and softly turned Angela's face to look at him while he lightly ran his thumb across her smooth skin. Obiwan scooted a little closer and stared deeply into Angela's eyes; she gazed back into them with the same intensity.

"You'll never be alone Angela," Obiwan promised,

"How do you know?" she asked quietly; Obiwan gave her a loving, soft smile,

"Because no matter what; you'll always have me." He answered. Angela's breath caught in her throat; Obiwan slowly leaned in so that their foreheads nearly touched. Angela, who watched his every move, saw his beautiful gaze trace across her face and land on her lips. Angela felt her heart start to race; and when Obiwan began to lean his head downwards, Angela softly tilted her head back. She could feel his breath tickle her cheeks, then their noses touched lightly; Obiwan leaned down a bit further and Angela closed her eyes as she barely felt his lips touch hers.

"Padawan Kenobi?" a voice called from the ship; Angela's eyes snapped open and she quickly pulled back and turned away from Obiwan. She looked back over her shoulder and saw one of the pilots appear in the doorway.

"Ahh Padawan Kenobi, you're needed in the control room." The pilot informed; Angela glanced back over to Obiwan who had already risen to his feet. He looked down at Angela and gave her a heart-melting smile,

"I'll see you later Angela." He spoke; Angela, who was still trying to comprehend what had almost just happened a few seconds ago, nodded her head. Without another word, Obiwan walked back up the ramp and followed the pilot into the ship. Angela looked down upon herself while raising a hand up to her mouth; she let her fingers lightly touch the place where Obiwan had almost kissed.

"Did that seriously just happen?" she asked herself in disbelief; Angela looked over to where Obiwan had sat, in his place rested her black mask. Angela slid her hand over and collected the object within her hands,

"Well," she began, "So much for not getting involved." She grumbled. Angela pulled herself to her feet; a warm and tingly feeling had spread throughout her body; causing a small smile to play across her lips. Angela spun on her heel and began walking back up the ramp; stopping in the doorway, Angela looked back over her shoulder and gazed back out into the sandy lands. She quickly faced forward and began to laugh inside her head; Angela had spotted two figures making their way through the sands, to the ship. Angela knew pretty well who it was,

"Well, here comes Qui Gon." She softly spoke out loud as she reentered the ship.


	27. Chapter 27: A Fight with an old Enemy

CHAPTER 27: A fight with an Old enemy

"Well," Angela thought, "That was interesting…." She noted shyly while she took a seat in a chair. Angela had decided to wait for Qui Gon's return; with her mask in her lap and saber at her side, she brought her left hand up and cradled it against her chest. She ran her thumb across the crescent moon and star symbol that was branded on her skin; a quick, cold, and painful jolt shot through her body that made her close her eyes tightly in shock. The black darkness that was behind her eyelids slowly melted away to something else……..

_Angela stood outside in the sands, she was facing away from the ship; the winds had picked up so sand and dust was blowing everywhere. Coming towards her was Qui Gon and little Anakin. They were running from the sandy winds to the ship; they weren't the only ones heading toward the ship though. Behind the two, Angela's eyes spotted from a distance, a quick, black figure that was coming right at Qui Gon and Anakin. Her eyes squinted together to try and get a better look at the black figure; whoever it was, it was dressed in black robes. Angela's eyes widened as it dawned on her_

"_Maul!" she whispered; Angela watched, completely frozen, as Maul rode in on his speeder towards Qui Gon and Anakin. When he was just a few yards away from them, Maul flew off his speeder and whipped out his long red lightsaber……….._

The scene as quickly as it came, vanished and Angela's eyes snapped open while she was gasping for air. Her spine was tingling cold; Angela knew very well what that meant…

"Dear Lord," she whispered, "He's here!" Angela quickly grabbed her mask and jumped to her feet. Not wasting another second, she took off running through the ship; while moving, she secured her mask to her face. Once Angela reached the small room with the door leading to the outside, Angela bolted out the door, took off down the down the ramp till she stopped five feet from the ship. Just like the vision, the winds were already roughly blowing sand all around; she looked straight ahead and her eyes landed on Qui Gon who was running to the ship, Anakin was falling behind him,

"Qui Gon sir, wait I'm tired." The young boy called pleadingly. Angela looked far beyond Anakin; she could clearly see Maul charging right at them. Using the force to boost her speed, Angela bolted; she ran right past Qui Gon and headed to Anakin's. Qui Gon, who had spotted Angela run by him just seconds ago, turned around and he too spotted Maul.

"Anakin, drop!!" Qui Gon yelled; Anakin instantly dropped to the ground. As Angela passed Anakin's fallen form, she unhooked her saber from her hip; just as she did, Maul flew from his speeder into the air. Angela, seeing Maul come at Anakin, force leaped right at him and tackled him in mid air; both Angela and Maul went tumbling to the ground and hit it pretty hard too. But both recovered quickly; in a flash they stood facing each other, not even five feet distanced them. Maul quickly activated his lightsaber; its red blade sprung to life. Without hesitation, he charged at Angela who had already drawn her blade and took up a fighting stance. He did a twisting flip right over her head, and was preparing to strike her down from behind, but Angela had already predicted such a move and spun on her heel to face him; her blade met his saber halfway as it came right at her. Angela quickly took control of the fight; she swiftly pulled back before she began taking multiple swings at Maul. Her moves were quick, and deadly; Maul almost looked like he was having a hard time keeping up with her, but he still managed to dodge and block her blows. Every now and then, Angela would throw a punch or kick at Maul which would send him stumbling back a few feet; Angela made sure that she was leading Maul away from their ship. For the few minutes they fought, it seemed like Angela was going to come out victorious in their fight, but Maul had some tricks of his own; he took a low swipe at Angela's shins with his lightsaber. She jumped high into the air dodging his move; the whole time she was focusing on his saber, so she didn't see his fist come at her head until it struck. The force of his blow knocked Angela's mask right off her face as her head was thrown back, and she stumbled back a couple steps; before she could regain her position, Maul roundhouse kicked her in her stomach and sent her flying backwards; Angela fell and landed on her side while she slid across the ground, her right temple connected with a rock that barely stuck up from under the sand. Her vision went white for a few seconds at the impact and she could feel warm blood trickled down the right side of her face. When she could see again, Angela propped herself up on her right arm; Maul menacingly began to advance towards her. She looked away from him and searched all around her frantically,

"Where's my saber?" she asked herself. When Maul knocked her to the ground, he had disarmed her as well. Angela quickly glanced up at him and saw him smirking beneath his black hood; a flash of silver quickly caught Angela's attention and she looked down in front of Maul; her saber rested three feet from Maul who was quickly closing in on Angela. Quickly thinking, Angela threw her body forward and made a dive to retrieve her saber; as her left hand closed around its hilt, Maul's boot came down right on her wrist painfully. He pressed it deep into the ground; Angela threw her head back and screamed in pain; Maul pushed down on it even harder. Angela gritted her teeth; she was sure that if he put anymore weight on her wrist, it would snap. She tried to pull her wrist back, but Maul had it pinned under his foot; while Angela glanced helplessly at her pinned wrist, she watched Maul lower his lightsaber to rest at her throat. It hummed softly; and Angela could feel its heat upon her skin. Boldly, and without fear, she raised her head high to stare Maul down. She watched curiously as his yellow eyes widened; he slowly lowered his saber to his side.

"Angela?" he spoke in disbelief. A sudden flash of green soon appeared in front of both Angela and Maul; Qui Gon had finally joined the fight. Maul stepped off Angela's wrist, freeing her, as Qui Gon threw himself at Maul; Angela pulled her hand back, it was already bruising around her wrist bone. A loud roaring sound from behind caused Angela to turn her head; the ship had taken off and was flying low over to where she and Qui Gon were.

"Angela!!" Qui Gon called, Angela's head snapped in the direction of Qui Gon's voice; his saber was locked together with Maul's, "Get back on the ship!!: he ordered. Angela quickly pulled herself to her feet while hooking her saber back onto her hip; she turned and looked to the side. The ship was less than ten feet away, and Qui Gon was still locked in battle with Maul. When the ship was close enough to Angela, she force leaped high up into the air and landed gracefully on the lowered ramp.

"Qui Gon jump!!!" Angela called down to him; Qui Gon glanced upwards at her before he swiftly pulled away from Maul and jumped up to the ramp. In three long strides he made his way up to Angela and herded her inside. The ship's door closed right behind them as they entered…

Maul who stood below looking up at the sky, deactivated his red lightsaber and lowered it to his side. His yellow gaze followed the ship till it was out of his sight; then he lowered his gaze to his feet. A small black object was buried halfway under the sand; Maul bent down and picked up the object in his hand. He turned Angela's mask over in his hand before he lifted his piercing yellow gaze back up to the sky.

"Angela's the Black Rider…." he whispered out loud in furry as his hand closed tightly around her mask.


	28. Chapter 28: Two Different Worlds

CHAPTER 28: Two different Worlds

Once safely inside their ship, Qui Gon collapsed to the floor in exhaustion; Angela went over to the older Jedi and kneeled down the floor. She reached a hand out and lightly placed it on his shoulder,

"You alright?" she asked; Qui Gon who sat panting, looked to her and nodded his head; Angela sighed with relief. Qui Gon had opened his mouth to say something in return but he got distracted by a door opening; Obiwan and little Anakin ran in and kneeled right beside Angela Qui Gon.

"Are you alright?" Anakin asked; Qui Gon once again nodded his head at the repeated question.

"What was it?" Obiwan asked curiously

"I'm not sure," Qui Gon replied before pausing, "….But he was well trained in the Jedi Arts." He added; Angela looked to the floor,

"I've got a feeling this conversation's gonna get really awkward really fast…." She mumbled in her head, before she rose off her knees to a standing position; Qui Gon's eyes followed her up.

"You weren't badly hurt were you Angela?" he asked. Angela looked down on the older Jedi; deep within his blue eyes Angela saw concern. She shook her head; Obiwan quickly looked at Angela, his brows were furrowed softly,

"You're hurt Angela?" he asked; Angela shook her head

"Uh no…" she looked down at her hand, "…just a scratch and some bruising." She replied before looking back at Obiwan; Anakin who sat watching Angela spoke up,

"That looks like more than just a scratch on your head." His small voice noted; Angela raised her hand up to her right temple and lightly touched it with her finger tips; when she pulled her fingers away, there was some blood on the tips.

"Well…" she paused, "…..I've had worse…" Angela murmured quietly while looking at her fingers.

"Nonetheless, Anakin is right. That scratch of yours is going to need to be tended to." Qui Gon informed

"Uh Qui Gon sir, why do you think that man came here in the first place?" Anakin asked

"My guess is that he was after the Queen." Qui Gon replied

"What do we do?" Anakin questioned curiously, Qui Gon let out a quick sigh,

"We must be patient." He answered, "In the mean time," Qui Gon spoke, "Anakin Skywalker meet my Apprentice, Obiwan Kenobi." Anakin reached his small hand over to Obiwan and shook hands with him,

"You're a Jedi too?" he asked in awe, "Pleased to meet you." Anakin spoke; Obiwan gave Anakin a small smile then glanced at Qui Gon who laughed softly at Anakin's enthusiasm. Obiwan then softly looked up at Angela; she met his gaze while shyly smiling down at him before she slowly turned on her heel and left the room without another word. "I hope he's not thinking about what had happened earlier…" she thought to herself quietly

She walked swiftly through the ship and came to a stop in the main room; her head was now starting to hurt so she took a seat on a small couch. Angela kicked her feet up and laid out on the somewhat comfortable piece of furniture; using the arm of the couch as pillow, she rested her throbbing head and closed her eyes. She ended up falling asleep a few moments later……

It was night out, and Angela stood silently on the shore of a beautiful lake. The crescent moon and stars shone brightly above in the black sky; their lights were reflecting off the surface of the water. Feeling drawn to the lake, Angela slowly walked down to the water's edge and began to wade into the deep blue lake. The water was a bit chilly once it reached her knees, but as she descended in deeper and the water rose higher up her body, she welcomed its cool touch. Angela went no further in once the water reach her lower back; she stopped moving and for the first time, she looked down on herself. Angela gasped softly; she was completely naked. Angela glanced down at the deep blue water she stood in; reaching a hand out, she brought it under the water's surface and scooped some of it up in her palm. She brought the handful up to her left bare shoulder and poured the water on her skin; Angela watched in fascination as it ran down her arm and chest; her pale, wet skin seemed to glisten in the moonlight. A small smile came to her lips; suddenly, two warm hands placed themselves on Angela's shoulders from behind, they gently caressed her skin; then a kiss lightly touched the back of her shoulder and Angela closed her eyes softly. The lips were so soft and gentle; she raised a hand up to her shoulder and took hold on the hand that rested there; as she slowly turned around to face whoever was behind her, their fingers intertwined together. Once she faced whoever was behind her, two familiar and beautiful eyes stared lovingly down at Angela;

"Obiwan…" she whispered his name softly; Obiwan smiled softly. Angela raised a hand up to his handsome face and she lightly brushed the right side of his face with her fingertips before she began to slowly lower her hand to her side; at her touch, Obiwan reached his other hand up and took her hand; now both their hands were joined together. Angela, who had locked her gaze with his, now let her vision trace over his body; a blush rose to her cheeks. Obiwan, just like Angela, wore nothing; his broad shoulders, toned chest and abdomen was all that showed of him, everything else was hidden beneath the water. Angela lifter her gaze back up to his eyes; despite her modesty, Angela no longer felt the need to hide herself. Obiwan gently pulled on her hands and Angela took a step closer to his body; they now stood toe to toe. Obiwan dropped one of her hands and used his free hand to tilt her chin up. Then with a small smile, he leaned down and captured Angela's lips in a passionate kiss……..

Angela stirred from her sleep as she felt cool water trickle down the side of her right face. She groaned and slowly opened her eyes to see Padme leaning over her; she was dressed in her red, orange and yellow gown; Angela sighed in relief, "Oh geeze; It was just a dream…" she whispered inside her head. Angela then slowly propped herself up on her arms and rose to a sitting up position.

"Padme," she mumbled, "What are you doing?" she asked; Padme also gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh praise God! You're alright. You scared me there for a second." Padme spoke; Angela smirked softly,

"Yeah I kinda have that effect on people." She playfully murmured; Padme smiled.

"Yup, you are most definitely alright." Said Padme with a small shake of her head.

"Of course I am. Now what were you doing to me?" Angela asked curiously; Padme showed her a wet rag.

"Cleaning the wound you got on the side of your head. I didn't want to see it get infected." Padme explained.

"Oh…well thank you. That was very kind of you." Said Angela while she raised her arms high above her head and stretched.

"I'm glad I could help. It's the least thing I can do," Padme then paused for a few seconds, "…after all, if it wasn't for you and Qui Gon, that man in black might have come aboard and….." her voice trailed off, "Well….who knows what he would've done."

"I can think of a few things…." Angela murmured inside her head. "Think nothing of it Padme; it's my job to look out and protect." Angela softly explained; Padme gave her a soft smile,

"Yeah I know," Padme spoke, "You do it very well by the way." Angela laughed softly,

"Well I'd hope so." She replied. Padme laughed quietly before she rose to her feet.

"I must go, there's a private audience going on with the Queen and Qui Gon; I best be there for it." Padme explained while she straightened her gown; Angela gave her a quick nod.

"Alright….." Angela paused, "….have fun with that." Angela replied playfully; Padme gave her a lightheartedly glare before she turned on her heel and left for the Queen's room. Angela sighed softly while she swung her legs off the couch to have them now touch the floor; her boots lightly kicked something. Angela glanced down at her feet and spotted a small, opened, silver case; it looked like a first-aid kit. Leaning over, she reached down and pulled a roll of gauze out; then she glanced at her left wrist. It was still badly bruised; and when she tried to rotate her wrist in a circle, it shot a pain up her arm making her wince softly. Angela slowly began to unwrap the roll of gauze until it was a long strip; then, while holding the end of the strip on her bruised wrist, she slowly began to wrap her wrist up tightly. The room Angela was in, was dead silent; so she lightly began to hum while she continued to bandage her wrist. She was so occupied with her task at hand; she didn't hear anyone else walk into the room.

"How are you feeling?" a male voice suddenly spoke up; Angela jumped slightly before she turned her head to the sound of the voice. When her eyes landed on the figure she let out a soft sigh of irritation.

"Must you keep doing that?" She asked while she looked away from Obiwan back to her work.

"Doing what?" he asked curiously while he walked over to where Angela sat.

"You always seem to show up at the most random moments; it throws me off." Angela mumbled softly; keeping her eyes lowered at her partially wrapped wrist. Obiwan chuckled softly before he took a seat right beside her,

"Well that's an interesting concept," He began, "The great Black Rider, the defender of Naboo who is known to be able to take down the most ruthless criminals, gets "_thrown off_" by a Jedi apprentice. That's a top story right there," he teased, "I can already see it making the front page." Angela turned her head to look over at the smiling Jedi beside her; she had stopped wrapping her wrist,

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked dangerously; a smirk playing across her lips. Obiwan raised his both his hands up in the air in a surrendering gesture,

"Oh no, no, I'd be too afraid to make fun of the Black Rider." he answered giving Angela a challenging look; Angela laughed softly while she shook her head. Angela leaned in slightly towards Obiwan; giving her a very intimidating profile

"You best watch yourself young Jedi, I'm not one to mess with." Angela playfully warned while she pulled back slowly. Obiwan smirked and raised an eyebrow at her warning,

"Oh really?" he paused while he looked Angela up and down before he met her gaze again, "I think I can take you." He replied challengingly. Angela rolled her eyes and laughed,

"Yeah ok; you keep telling yourself that Obiwan." She replied before she looked back down at her hand; Obiwan laughed softly. Angela then once again picked up the strip of gauze and continued wrapping it around her wrist. She stopped only once more when she felt Obiwan's hand close around her hand that held the gauze; Angela lifted her eyes up to Obiwan and stared at him; puzzled by his action.

"Here," he spoke softly, "Let me." He delicately offered; Angela released her grip on the gauze and let Obiwan take hold of it. Angela extended her left hand out more to Obiwan who now began to gently wrap it up around her wrist.

"Thank you." Angela softly replied as she watched Obiwan carefully tend to her wrist. They sat in silence for a few minutes; as Obiwan was finishing wrapping up Angela's wrist, he tied a small strip of gauze into a knot so it kept the bandaging tight. Angela gasped softly at the pressure on her wrist; Obiwan quickly glanced up at her,

"Sorry…. Jedi hands….I know they're rough." He spoke apologetically,

"Oh no…I mean yes they are, but that wasn't the reason; it just feels a little weird having my wrist restrained like this." She quickly explained while she lowered her eyes from Obiwan's deep stare. Obiwan, who still held Angela by her left hand, gently placed his other one on top of it. Angela looked over at him; she noticed that his gaze was locked on the hand that he held. Then to Angela's surprise, she felt him lightly trace his fingers over the back of her hand. As she paid close attention to his touch, she realized that he was tracing her mark; Obiwan looked up at Angela,

"What's this?" he asked curiously while he lowered his gaze back to her left hand,

"It's…..my mark." She answered; Obiwan raised a curious eyebrow at her,

"What's it mean?" He asked; Angela shrugged her shoulders,

"My guess is that it represents who I am, or who I'm going to be. But honestly I'm still trying to figure it out." She replied.

"How'd you get it?" he questioned; Angela bit her lip in thought,

"Uhhh…well…" she paused, "….this isn't gonna make any sense but what if I told you it came to me in a dream." She replied,

"Well then I'd have to say that you've got some pretty intense dreams." He answered with a small smirk; Angela looked down softly as she remembered her latest dream, about her and Obiwan. She felt heat rise to her cheeks, "What was that all about anyways? Obiwan and I aren't and are never going to be…..like that." She thought inside her mind. "You don't know the half of it…" she murmured softly; Angela was staring down at her lap when she felt Obiwan's eyes watching her, so she glanced over at him. She smiled softly,

"Do always stare like that?" she lightly teased; Obiwan smiled in return,

"Uh no actually, I don't…but with you……I can't help it." He confessed; Angela felt her blush begin to redden, so she looked down,

"Oh…" she murmured shyly, then she let out a sigh, "Obiwan," she began, "….about what had happened on Tatooine," she paused for a few seconds, "…you mustn't let that change things." She explained while she glanced up at Obiwan; his brows were furrowed softly,

"What do you mean?" he asked; Angela swallowed and took a deep breath in,

"….Between us I mean. We are working together on a mission…." She paused again, "That's all that can happen with us." She spoke softly but firmly as she pulled her hand away from Obiwan's.

"Angela you can't be telling me that you don't share the same feelings I have." Obiwan spoke gently,

"Who said anything about feelings?" Angela asked quietly,

"What, so you don't care about me in anyway?" Obiwan questioned in disbelief; Angela thought about that for a second before she looked up to stare Obiwan in his eyes,

"Correct," she lied undecidedly; Obiwan shook his head, not believing her. Angela looked down,

"Obiwan I _**can't**_care about you." She stated

"What?" Obiwan asked,

"We live in two different worlds. It's not possible for us to be anymore than just acquaintances." She explained

"Angela," Obiwan began but Angela quickly jumped in,

"No Obiwan, please," she pleaded softly, "…just accept that fact. The sooner you do, the sooner we can forget all of this."

"And what if I don't want to forget?" Obiwan asked

"Then you are a fool." Angela replied while she turned away from Obiwan.

"Am I Angela? If I recall correctly, back on Tatooine, you were just as willing as I was." Obiwan pointed out,

"Forget about what had happened and listen to what I'm saying now; this has to stop, whatever is going on between us." Angela spoke while looked back over to him; she stared deeply into Obiwan's eyes, Obiwan stared silently back.


	29. Chapter 29: It's dress up time

CHAPTER 29: It's dress up time!

"I'm not interrupting anything now am I?" another male spoke up; Obiwan glanced over Angela's shoulder before he quickly rose to his feet.

"Not at all Master, Angela and I had just finished talking." Obiwan informed, his voice was tense;

"Well I just came by to tell you guys that we will be landing on Corescant shortly; so prepare yourselves." Qui Gon informed,

"What's shortly?" Angela softly asked,

"In about 10 minutes." Qui Gon replied; Angela nodded her head in understanding; Qui Gon looked over to Obiwan

"Obiwan, I need to speak with you." Obiwan obediently walked over to his Master, Qui Gon then turned on his heel and walked off; Obiwan following right behind him. Angela too rose off the couch and walked off in the opposite direction, when she passed into a smaller room, she paused in the doorway; Padme was wrapping Anakin up in a bright red blanket. Angela decided to silently watch,

"You come from a warm planet Anakin, a bit too warm for my tastes, but up here space is cold." Padme gently explained.

"You look sad." Anakin softly pointed out; Padme glanced down quickly before she looked back at the small boy,

"The Queen is worried; her people are suffering, dying," Padme shook her head, "I don't how things are going to end." She sadly spoke.

"I made you something." Anakin softly murmured trying to cheer her up; he reached over to Padme's hands and placed something in them.

"It's so you can remember me."Anakin explained; Padme was gazing at the smooth stone she held within her hands. Carved inscriptions covered the stone.

"It's beautiful," Padme smiled at Anakin, "….but I don't need this to remember you by." She paused, "Many things are going to change when we reach the capital Ani, but my caring for you shall always remain." Padme promised.

"I care for you too." Anakin confessed; Angela smiled at the scene,

"Aww that was cute." She noted in her mind, "kinda reminds me of…..Obiwan." She sadly added. Angela bit her lip; as much as she hates the idea, she's pretty sure that somehow she holds feelings for Obiwan. "But I shouldn't!" her head screamed against what her heart was telling her.

"Hi Angela!" Anakin had spotted her in the doorway; so with a small smile Angela walked over to where Anakin and Padme were.

"How's it going you two?" she asked

"Fine." Padme answered; Anakin nodded his head in agreement.

"We're going to be landing very soon." Angela informed; Anakin's eyes widened softly in excitement,

"How soon?" he asked; as Angela opened her mouth to reply but soon the whole group felt a sudden dropping feeling in their stomach which told them their answer.

"Now." They all said in unison before they burst out laughing. Anakin quickly untangled himself from the blanket before hopping to his feet.

"Come on guys, let's go!" he spoke excitedly; Angela helped pull Padme to her feet then the trio walked through the ship till they reached the ship's door. Angela had picked up the rest of her belongings while they passed through the ship. Once they felt the ship touch ground; everyone else on the ship came to the room where the three of them stood waiting patiently. The door of the ship opened and lowered its ramp; the Queen and her handmaidens where the first to leave; Padme, Angela and Anakin followed right behind the Queen, the last people to leave was Qui Gon and Obiwan. Angela looked at her surroundings curiously, before turning to Padme as they walked side by side,

"So this is Corescant?" Angela stated

"Yeah, nothing like Naboo huh?" Padme answered,

"Not even close." Angela murmured; coming towards their group was a fairly large group of politicians. One middle aged man dressed in navy blue immediately walked up to the Queen,

"It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty. May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum." Chancellor Valorum stepped forward and gave a soft bow,

"Welcome, Your Highness. It is an honor to finally meet you in person. I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the currant situation. I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position." He politely stated

"I am most grateful for you concern Chancellor." The queen replied; Senator Palpatine began to lead the Queen and her group over to a taxi. Once the Queen and her Handmaidens were inside the taxi; Angela and Padme were getting ready to climb in, but stopped and glanced back to the ship. Qui Gon and Obiwan were staying behind with the Supreme Chancellor; Anakin and JarJar were heading over to the taxi where Angela and Padme stood but they stopped unsure of where they were suppose to go,

"Ani," Padme called, "Come on." She softly ordered; Anakin looked back at Qui Gon who looked over at Angela and then back at Anakin before giving him a nod. Anakin and JarJar quickly walked over and hopped in the back of the taxi with Padme and Angela.

"What about Qui Gon?" Anakin asked; Angela looked down at the young boy who sat beside her,

"He'll meet up with us again, probably just has some Jedi business he needs to attend to." Angela explained quietly; the taxi suddenly started up and took off. Angela turned her head to look over at Padme, who sat on the other side of Anakin,

"So where are we going exactly?" She asked

"I would assume Senator Palpatine is taking us to the Senate." Padme answered

"Is that where we will be staying?" Angela questioned curiously; Padme nodded her head,

Angela, Padme, Anakin, and JarJar rode in silence for the rest of the ride; all of them were so taken with the unfamiliar sight of Corescant. Once they arrived at their destination, the Queen's caravan quickly exited the taxi and entered the massive building that they had come to; Angela, Padme, Anakin, and JarJar were the last people to leave and enter the building. They followed behind the Queen's group until they stopped at a room; two armed guards stood right outside the door. Senator Palpatine swiftly opened the door and stood aside,

"This is your room your Majesty," he stated politely;

"Thank you Senator," the Queen spoke then she, along with Senator Palpatine, and her handmaidens walked into the room.

"Come on guys," Padme spoke while she too walked past the guards and entered the room. Angela glanced down at Anakin who looked back up at her; they both shrugged their shoulders before they began to head inside the room. Angela let Anakin and JarJar go in before her, herding the two into the room. As Angela tried walking into the room, the two guards quickly stepped in together, blocking her path; so she froze,

"Something wrong officers?" she asked, while she put a hand on her hip

"Identification Miss?" One of the guards asked.

"Excuse me?" Angela questioned, her brow rising

"We need to see Identification." The guard stated

"Can I ask why?" Angela asked suspiciously while her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You are armed." The other guard pointed out; Angela looked down at her saber, then back up at the guards,

"Good observation," she sarcastically answered,

"Let's see your license." The Guard ordered, Angela crossed her arms over her chest,

"License?" Angela repeated; the guard nodded his head,

"Your weapon." He informed

"I don't have a license." She muttered in aggravation; the guards glanced at each other before one took a step towards Angela.

"If you don't have a license for bearing arms, your weapon is unregistered; meaning you are not permitted to carry your weapon; hand it over." The guard stated while he held his hand out to Angela; Angela took a defensive step back while she placed her hand on her saber's hilt and gripped it firmly.

"I don't think so." Said Angela; her voice had lowered in warning.

"If you won't abide by our rules, then we will confiscate you and your weapon by force." The Guard threatened

"You can try!" Angela challenged; the guards stood tall before they began to advance on Angela; in a flash Angela whipped out her saber and took up a fighting stance.

"What is going on out here?" A female voice called from the door; Angel glanced behind the two guards to see Padme standing in the doorway. The guards turned to face Padme;

"This young woman here is unauthorized to carry her weapon and refuses to show some identification." The guard explained; Padme pushed past the two guards to stand next to Angela.

"This woman here doesn't need to show identification. She's with the Queen." Padme explained, another voice soon joined in,

"Padme, what's going on?" All eyes turned to see the Queen and Senator Palpatine standing in the doorway. Padme took a step forward,

"Your Highness, there seems to have been a misunderstanding about Angela with the guards." Padme explained; Angela took this time to lower her saber to her side. The Queen looked over at Angela before she looked back at the guards.

"This young woman is with me gentlemen; so let her pass." The Queen ordered; the guards obediently pulled back and moved to stand off to the side.

"Yes your Majesty," they spoke in unison; one of them quickly added,

"But there is still the issue of her bearing arms." He spoke, "She is not licensed to carry her weapon."

"The Black Rider," the Queen clarified, "….does not need a license." The Queen now turned to Angela, "Come along Black Rider; these men won't give you anymore trouble." The guards shamefully look down at their feet at this notice; Angela gave a polite nod to the Queen,

"Thank you your Highness." She spoke while she and Padme began to walk inside the room. The Queen gave Angela a small smile before she and the Senator led the way back inside. The doors closed shut behind Angela and Padme; who followed the Queen and Senator into a very elegant office like room. Once there the Queen took a seat in a large chair; Senator Palpatine stood off to the Queen's side while Angela and Padme went to stand in front of the Queen. Senator Palpatine who was now staring intensely at Angela spoke up,

"So this is the famous and heroic Black Rider," he began, "It is an honor to be meeting you at last. I have heard so many great things about you." He praised softly; Angela gave him a soft smile and nod,  
"Thank you Senator." She humbly replied; Senator Palpatine continued,

"I certainly feel much better knowing that the Black Rider is with the Queen." Padme softly added,

"Indeed…..we all do."

"Now, let's get down to business; Your Majesty the meeting with the Senate with begin right about sun down; Uh Black Rider?" the Senator called; Angela stepped forward softly,

"Yes Senator?" she asked,

"You will be attending the meeting now won't you?" he asked; Angela glanced to the side at Padme who gave her a soft nod.

"If my presence is requested then I shall of course attend without hesitation." Angela formally answered.

"I would insist on your going; you may be needed to testify for the Queen. I'm sure you of all people would know exactly what has been going on over there." Palpatine stated; Angela nodded

"I have seen enough." She confirmed

"Excellent! So then I can expect you to be there?" he asked

"Of course Senator Palpatine." Angela answered

"Wonderful!" the Senator happily exclaimed; Angela looked down on her attire

"But sir I fear that I am not dressed to attend such a formal event." She pointed out.

"Ah no matter my dear girl; I'm sure the Queen can spare one of her handmaids to you. They'll get you ready in no time." He assured; The Queen gave Angela a small smile, before she glanced over at Padme,

"Padme," the Queen called; Padme stepped forward

"Yes your highness?" she replied.

"I'll leave Angela in your capable hands; prepare her for our meeting with the Senate." The Queen ordered; Padme bowed softly,

"Right away your highness." Padme then turned to Angela and smirked under her red hood, "Follow me Angela." Angela smirked back and followed Padme out of the room. Padme led her to a refresher

"You'll find everything you'll need in here; so take a quick shower and get dried off." Padme explained hurriedly while she went and pulled out a soft white towel before setting it on the sink.

"What's the rush?" Angela asked curiously while she giggled softly; Padme looked back over at Angela and started listing things off,

"Well you'll still need to dress, then I have to do your hair and make up…" Angela laughed at her friend.

"You seem excited about this." She pointed out

"I'm giving the Black Rider a makeover; who wouldn't be?" Padme winked before she quickly added, "Now hurry up!" with that said Padme left the refresher; its door closed behind her. Angela laughed softly at her friend's enthusiasm while she quickly stripped off all her clothes. Once she was naked Angela swiftly turned on the hot water and stepped into the shower. Once her body and hair was soaked she immediately went to work; first she washed her hair with shampoo and conditioner that smelled like roses, once that was done and scrubbed herself down with a fruity body wash then of course shaved her legs the necessary places on a girl's body. Her shower took her about 30 minuets. After she was rinsed clean, she turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She was met by a cold draft so she instantly reached for her towel and wrapped it around her body. A few minutes after that, knocks were heard on the refresher's door.

"Angela?" it was Padme, "Can I come in?" she asked

"Yeah you come in." Angela called back while she looked down and tied her towel up on her body so it would stay without her holding onto it. Angela while she was looking down, heard Padme come inside; when Angela looked up to see her friend, she was caught off guard when she ended up seeing a white face with red lips and dark eyes

"NGAAHH!!" she exclaimed in shock and jumped back a few feet. Angela put a hand up to racing heart,

"Padme!" she squeaked "Warn me next time you're gonna go and dress up like Frankenstein's Bride!" she scolded softly; Padme cocked her head to the side,

"I don't know who Frankenstein is, but what did you expect Angela? I'm the Queen, I _**have**_ to dress like this." She replied.

"God knows why." Angela mumbled as she took in the sight of her friend. She wore a long orange-ish full skirt gown with a maroon robe over it; on her head she had on the most ridiculous headdress Angela had ever seen her wear. She laughed inside her head, "It looks like a ram horns." She noted.

"It's Tradition." Padme explained; Angela gave her a quick look up and down,

"Of course it is…..for the record, you're not dressing me up like that I can tell you that now." Angela stated. Padme smiled,

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it; I've got another idea for you." Padme answered with a mischievous smirk while she flashed Angela a few objects that she held in her arms

"Oh joy." Angela grumbled. Padme then turned to face the sink and counter before she began to place stuff on top of it: A hair brush, a small box, and a neatly folded pile of clothes. Padme reached on top of the pile and took a few material off before she handed them to Angela.

"Here," she began, "…put these on first." Then Padme turned away and began to rummage around on counter; Angela looked down at what she now held.

"Oh Underwear," She established in her mind, "…cute." She whispered while she quickly put on the black lacy panties; then she dropped her towel put on the Strapless Bra.

"Ok now what? And by the way, not that I'm complaining or anything, but just so you now, I wear more colors than just black." She pointed out; Padme laughed and turned around to face her,

"I'll remember that next time. Now here," Padme reached behind her and pulled out a long, full, white petticoat; Angela took in up in her hands with curiosity, "Put that on next." Padme ordered. Angela quickly stepped into the white petticoat and pulled it up to her hips; finally she zipped it up in the back.

"Anything else?" Angela teased knowing full well that more was to come. Then she looked down on what she did wear before she began twisting her hips enjoying the sight of the skirt swishing back and forth.

"Just a few more things." Padme answered while she began to smirk, "Tell me Angela, have you ever worn a corset before?" Angela froze and looked back up to Padme her eyes wide.

"A corset? Uhh…no not really no…" Angela answered; Padme's smirk widened to a smile,

"Well then this ought to be fun." She exclaimed cheerfully while she held up a white lace corset.

"Turn around Angela." She ordered; Angela hesitantly did what Padme said. Once Angela's back faced Padme, Padme took a step closer before she spoke again,

"Raise your arms up out to the side." Angela raised her arms; then she felt Padme's arms wrap around her waist and she watched as Padme put the corset on her. There were a few hooks on the corset that Padme quickly did so that the corset would stay on Angela. Once it was firmly on, Padme turned Angela around to face the sink.

"Hold onto the counter." Angela glanced behind her shoulder at Padme before she reached out and lightly gripped the edge of the counter. She heard some rustling behind her and soon felt the two ends of the corset lace now rest against her back.

"I won't do this extremely tight since it is your first time." Padme promised while she took up the laces in her hand and began to quickly and tightly lace up the corset. Angela gasped at the unfamiliar pressure against her breasts and stomach; as the corset grew tighter Angela's breathing became short and quick.

"You call this not tight? Feels freaking tight to me." Angela grumbled softly; Padme laughed

"Don't worry, you'll get use to it." Padme assured

"Use to what? Not breathing? I doubt it" Angela muttered sarcastically. Padme gave a quick pull on the laces; Angela groaned.

"Done!" Padme exclaimed happily as she tied the laces in place. Then she moved to stand next to Angela while she reached over the counter and pulled a neatly folded piece of material to her. Padme picked it up in one place and let the material drop to the floor; it was a long floor length satin gown with a scooped-cut beaded bodice and flowing sleeves that stopped right at the elbow. Angela stared awestruck at the beautiful gown; best of all it was in Angela's favorite shade of blue. The color matched her eyes.

"Oh Padme," she spoke breathlessly, "It's beautiful." Padme smiled,

"Yes, now lets get you into this now shall we?" Padme replied while she handed the dress over to Angela who quickly threw it over her head and stuck her arms though the sleeves. Angela watched in fascination as the blue satin material flowed down to her feet. Padme swiftly stepped behind Angela and zipped the gown up; the dress fit her perfectly.

"Time for hair." Padme informed while she moved around Angela and grabbed the hairbrush before she went to stand behind Angela again; Padme gently brushed Angela's long and almost dry hair. Once she was done and Angela's hair ran smoothly down her back, Padme reached up with her hands and tilted Angela's head back. Then in some swift moves, she tied up half of Angela's hair into a bun with some curls and left the rest of it run down her back. Padme clapped her hands with pride.

"And last but not least, makeup." Padme murmured as she now stood at the counter and had opened the small box. Before Angela cold see what Padme pulled out, Padme was already putting stuff on Angela; Padme put some soft pink blush on Angela's cheeks, then she put some sort of pink lipstick on Angela as well.

"Look up." Padme quickly ordered; Angela looked up and then felt Padme brush stuff on her eyelashes.

"Now," Padme began but Angela quickly jumped in,

"Let me guess, close my eyes?" She finished for Padme before she closed her eyes softly; Angela felt Padme trace something along her eyelids before she then brushed them with some powder.

""Blue is definitely your color," Padme noted out loud, once Padme had finished, she softly added, "Oh Angela," Padme whispered, "You look amazing!" she whispered breathlessly and she took a step away from Angela to examine her work. Angela slowly opened her eyes to stare at her reflection in the mirror; her jaw dropped open slightly,

"Is that really me?" Angela asked in wonderment; she couldn't even recognize herself.

"Yeah Angela, that's you." Padme confirmed with a small smile. Angela looked herself over in the mirror; with the gown, makeup, and hairstyle, she looked like royalty.

"Wow…." Angela murmured, "I haven't gotten this dressed up since Prom, sophomore year. In fact, I haven't even worn makeup for like a year now." Angela explained quietly,

"Not like you really need the makeup or anything; but the mascara, liner, and shadow do bring out your eyes more." Padme complimented; Angela turned her head and smiled at her friend.

"Thank you Padme." Said Angela; Padme smiled back before her smile dropped and she suddenly stomped her foot on the floor in irritation.

"Oh Blast!" she swore; Angela raised an eyebrow at Padme,

"You surprise me Padme; I didn't realize you had a colorful vocabulary." Angela teased.

"Pardon my language, but I forgot your shoes." She informed before she quickly reached out and grabbed Angela softly by her still bandaged hand

"Come on I left them in the living room." Padme explained while she dragged Angela, who had picked up her long gown in the front so she wouldn't trip, over to the refresher door and opened it up. Angela, feeling like she was missing something, quickly turned to the side to look back behind her and sought out her saber lying on the floor by her discarded clothes. With an outstretched hand, her saber flew through the air into her open hand; then with her saber now in her grip at her side she turned back to her friend who was now trying to pull Angela out through the refresher door. Angela laughingly looked down at her hand which was held firmly by Padme, she quietly noted in her mind,

"Yeah. Queens shouldn't be holding hands with the Black Rider." Angela decided to speak up to remind what her their positions were.

"Uh _**Your Highness**_;" Angela emphasized, "…..let's not blow your cover over a pair of shoes." Angela playfully reminded Padme who caught on to what Angela was getting at.

"Oh right." She spoke while she let go of Angela's hand and formally linked her arm with hers instead.

"Much better your Majesty." Angela teased while both young women walked gracefully out of the refresher.


	30. Chapter 30: Not wanting to forget

CHAPTER 30: Not wanting to Forget

Padme and Angela gave each other a soft smile while they continued their way to the living room. They could here voices up ahead so Angela softly leaned in toward Padme's ear,

"Alright Padme…er….Your Majesty," she whispered, "Let's make this look professional." Angela gave the real Queen a quick wink; Padme nodded her head in understanding. As they turned a corner and walked into the living room, Padme took on her role as the Queen on Naboo. Speaking in her monotone voice, Padme began a conversation with Angela.

"I'm trusting that the Senate will step up and help our cause." Angela nodded her head; she soon felt eyes on her and Padme and glanced out of the corner of her eye to the left side of the room by the door. Qui Gon, Anakin, and Obiwan stood off to the side watching the young pair of women. Angela quickly averted her eyes from the group and looked over toward Padme

"I would suspect that they would Your Highness. It is the Senate's job to do so in such times. I'd be most shocked if they chose to do nothing." Angela formally answered.

"As would I." Padme replied gravely. Angela and Padme gave each a quick look before they turned their attention on the small boy who was now walking up to them; Angela and the disguised Padme stopped their walking to gaze down on the young Anakin Skywalker.

"Uh excuse me, Your Majesty," Anakin paused and looked over to Angela, "….and lady," Anakin's small voice began, "I was wondering if I could speak with Padme for a few minuets." He politely asked, Angela looked over at Padme who gazed gently down on the young boy,

"I've sent Padme on an errand." Amidala replied; Anakin glanced over his shoulder at the two waiting Jedi by the door.

"I'm going to the Jedi Temple…to start my training…I hope," he paused quickly, "I may not see her again…and….I just wanted to say goodbye." He explained; Padme or Queen Amidala continued to stare gently at him before she spoke up again,

"We will tell her for you. We are sure her heart goes with you." Queen Amidala answered; Anakin gave Amidala a small bow,

"Thank you your Highness." He replied while he rose to his full height again. Angela could tell by reading his profile, he was disappointed by not being able to talk to Padme,

"Despite the fact that she's right in front of him." Angela thought to herself; Angela stepped forward towards Anakin and laid a caring hand on his shoulder, she tenderly spoke up,

"Don't worry Ani; something tells me that you will see Padme again soon enough." Anakin looked up curiously at Angela; his light brows furrowed in confusion as he studied her features. Angela saw his confusion and laughed softly, "Do you not recognize me Ani?" she quickly hinted in "It's probably because you're use to seeing me in black and well," Angela glanced down on herself quickly before looking back at Anakin, "…not so dressed up." She explained. At that hint his blue eyes widened and his small mouth dropped open in shock,

"Angela?" he guessed; Angela smiled down at him and nodded her head.

"Surprise." She teased softly; Anakin quickly ran over and gave her a tight hug; Angela instantly hugged the young boy back. He raised his blue eyes up to her to face,

"Wow Angela, you look incredible." He complimented; Angela placed her left hand on the top of his head that reached her stomach and lightly ruffled his hair.

"Thank you Ani." She replied; Anakin gave her a smile before he glanced behind him,

"Qui Gon come over here you have to see this." He called; Qui Gon and Obiwan gave each other a quick glance before the walked over to where Angela, Anakin, and Queen Amidala (Padme) stood. Once they had joined the trio Anakin smiled up at Qui Gon who came and stood beside him as did Obiwan,

"Look at Angela!" he pointed out; both Jedi looked over at the young woman Anakin was pointing at. Qui Gon quickly looked her up and down before he smirked at her,

"Well, well, well," he began, a teasing glint shone in his eyes, "Looks like the Black Rider has become a Lady in Blue." Angela gave him a soft smirk back,

"Yeah well I'd thought I go for a new look. You know reinvent myself." She wittily replied Qui Gon chuckled at her comment.

"You look lovely Angela." He complimented, "Why so dressed up?" he asked curiously,

"I'm attending the meeting with the Queen and Senate and felt I'd be a little…..underdressed if I went how I normally am. So the Queen lent me a few things." Angela explained; she quickly glanced over next to Qui Gon at Obiwan who met her gaze. Their eyes locked together for a few seconds; under his stare, Angela felt butterflies awaken in her stomach and her heart beats began to quicken.

"Why does he effect me so?" she asked herself as she stared deeply into his beautiful blue-green eyes. Almost like in a trance, Angela was shaken from it by the sound of Padme's monotone voice; she quickly looked away from Obiwan.

"We best be leaving for the meeting now Angela." Queen Amidala informed.

"Yes your Highness." Angela replied, before she quickly added, "Oh wait, I'm still missing my shoes." She reminded her friend.

"Ah yes. One second." Queen Amidala spoke while she swiftly walked across to the other side of the room and grabbed something off a chair; she then came back just as quickly as she left.

"Here, these ought to work for you." Queen Amidala assured while she handed Angela two dainty stain slippers that matched the gown that she wore.

"Thank You, your Majesty." Angela replied while she set the slippers softly on the floor in front of her and stepped into the silky shoes. Qui Gon took a small step forward,

"We'll escort you two to your meeting while we head back to the temple." Qui Gon informed while he offered his arm formally to Queen Amidala who accepted it greatly with appreciation.

"Thank you Master Jedi. That would be very kind of you." She answered then as Qui Gon and her began to walk off toward the door, Qui Gon called back over his shoulder,

"Come Anakin." He ordered; with a small smirk at Angela he spun on his heel and took off to catch up with Qui Gon and Queen Amidala; leaving Angela and Obiwan behind….together….alone. Obiwan who was watching Angela intensely took a small step toward her and softly spoke up,

"You look beautiful Angela." His voice was low and sweet. Angela blushed softly at his compliment and shyly looked down,

"Thank you Obiwan." She murmured back while she hesitantly raised her gaze back up to Obiwan's. Obiwan smiled softly and gave her a soft bow before he too extended his arm,

"Shall we?" he asked politely; Angela smiled back softly before she slowly placed her hand in the crook of his arm.

"Why not?" she answered playfully, before the two of them began to walk off following a few feet behind the Queen and Qui Gon. They walked in silence for most of the time; not one of them was able to find words to speak with. Angela, as she soon thought about Obiwan, slowly began to reconsider what she had told him. It was obvious to her now that she like him….a lot. And ever since she told Obiwan that they couldn't be friends, Angela felt like she was missing something deep inside her. Now as they walked side by side, arm in arm, Angela feels…..complete. Angela bit her lip in deep thought,

"I don't think I have the heart to stay away from him." She told herself. "Then don't!!" her heart screamed. Angela was so focused on her thoughts she didn't even realize that they had now arrived outside the massive building and were walking over to their waiting taxi. Qui Gon was helping the Queen inside who slid next to Anakin before Qui Gon got inside himself. Angela seeing that they were less than ten feet away from an audience, gently pulled on Obiwan's arm. At her touch he turned to look down on her; Angela kept her gaze straight ahead as she softly whispered to him,

"We need to talk." She informed him, "If you still hold feelings for me in anyway, meet me on the roof of the Temple at midnight." Obiwan's brows furrowed softly,

"How will you do that?" he asked curiously, Angela who still looked straight ahead smirked and laughed softly,

"Dear Obiwan, I'm the Black Rider; I've got my ways." She lightly teased; she slowly turned her head up to see Obiwan's reaction; his face had confusion written all over it, but in his eyes shone a bright light that Angela recognized as hope.

"I'll be there." He promised, before he softly added, "Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked in wonder. Angela and Obiwan soon stopped at the taxi's opening; Angela pulled her arm away from his and turned to face him; she gazed up at him gently

"Because," she began, "…..mine's not wanting forget." She whispered before she quickly turned away from him and climbed into the taxi; Obiwan who stood slightly shocked at her words, slowly climbed inside as well. Once he and Angela were settled, the taxi took off.


	31. Chapter 31: Oh the Joys of Politics

CHAPTER 31: Oh the Joys of Politics…. 

The group rode in silence for most of the ride; that is until Queen Amidala finally addressed Angela.

"Senator Palpatine will be meeting us right outside the Lecture Hall." She informed; Angela, who was gazing out a window, turned her head to face the young Queen,

"Sounds like a plan. How long do you think that this meeting will last your highness?" Angela wondered

"If all goes well and the Senate is with us, then it shouldn't last long," she paused, "….but…" Angela nodded her head as she understood what Amidala was gonna say,

"But this is Politics…..so one can never be completely sure about anything." Angela finished Amidala's sentence who gave her a soft, small smile.

"Exactly." Said Amidala; a few minutes later the young Queen spoke again, "Ah, here we are." She murmured while she gazed upon a fairly large building coming into view; Angela had also spotted it, feeling a bit out of her element, automatically her right hand closed tightly into fist but stopped suddenly when her hand wrapped around something cold. She looked down at her side and saw her saber still clutched in her hand.

"Uhhh your highness?" she spoke while she lifted her saber up and laid it in her lap; the young Queen pulled her eyes from the building that was just a couple meters away and looked over at her friend,

"Yes?" she asked Angela tilted her blade up to show the Queen,

"Is there a policy about carrying weapons of some sort?" Angela asked curiously; the Queen thought about it for a second before answering,

"Not that I'm aware of." In the background she heard Qui Gon chuckle; Angela turned her eye on the older Jedi and raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's so funny Qui Gon?" she asked; Qui Gon gave her a soft smirk,

"It strikes me funny to see you like this; the fierce Black Rider now dressed like royalty but yet she still carries her saber at her side. It's an interesting combination don't you think?" he teased softly. Angela brows furrowed softly in deep thought as she took in what Qui Gon had just said.

"….So?......" she mumbled, "It's a habit. I always take my saber with me. We're practically inseparable." She spoke defensively; Anakin, who was now watching the scene as was everyone else in the taxi, cocked his head to the side before he spoke out,

"Wow Angela," he spoke in awe, "Do you really use that…that…Uh….what do you call it?" he asked curiously; Angela turned her gaze from Qui Gon over to Anakin and gave him a soft smile,

"It's a saber Anakin, and yes I have and do use it quiet often actually." She replied as she watched in amusement as his bright blue eyes widened in amazement; she laughed at the young boy,

"What Anakin? Did you think I carried this around for show?" she asked humorously,

"Well….no…I knew that there was probably a reason behind it." He answered with a laugh of his own, "So then…..what are you then… a body guard?" he asked then paused, "….bounty hunter?" Angela as she heard this, glanced over at the Queen who sat across from her who also met her glance and both young women burst out laughing; even Qui Gon and Obiwan chuckled at Anakin's ignorance.

"What?" His small voice asked innocently as he cocked his head to the side; Queen Amidala recovered first from her fit of laughing,

"Anakin," her monotone voice addressed, "Have you ever heard of the Black Rider?" she asked; all eyes turned to look at the small boy.

"Uh no….." he answered hesitantly, "…..who is he?" he asked; Angela and Queen Amidala giggled quietly while Qui Gon stepped in,

"Not a he Anakin….she." he corrected while his eyes quickly shifted over to Angela before they moved back on Anakin,

"Oh…well then no…I haven't heard about…her." He answered, "Who is she?" he asked curiously; Queen Amidala smiled down at the young boy,

"The Black Rider," she began while she glanced over at Angela who smirked, "……is a well known heroic young woman from my planet Naboo. In a way, I guess you could say she acts like a body guard because of what she does." The Queen explained,

"What does she do?" he asked,

"She's what people would call a guardian, a protector; someone who devotes their life to watching over someone or in this case, my people." The Queen answered, Anakin's brows furrowed in confusion,

"She watches your people?" he repeated in puzzlement

"Yes. She looks out for them; anytime there's danger, or trouble, she goes and stops it. She's highly respected by my people because she's locked up some of the most ruthless and cruel bandits singlehandedly on my planet. Not to mention has any other troublemaker running for the hills." The Queen explained before she quickly added, "In fact she's even helped one of my very own handmaidens once. One you're familiar with Anakin, our Padme." Anakin's mouth opened slightly, "It's how the two of them met." The Queen explained

"Padme knows the Black Rider?" he asked in surprise, Amidala smiled at Anakin and gave Angela a quick secret glance,

" Oh yes, the two of them are very good friends." The Queen informed.

"Wow.…she must be a great fighter." Anakin stated in awe

"One of the best I have ever seen." The Queen confirmed with a soft nod of her head.

"What does she use as a weapon? A Blaster? Umm…a staff?" he guessed the Queen shook her head,

"Neither, she uses a _**saber**_." The Queen hinted softly; Anakin though didn't seem to catch on,

"Like Angela's?" he asked in wonder,

"_**Exactly**_ like Angela's." the Queen answered with a smile, Angela sat back watching Anakin with interest; a smile stretching across her face,

"Wow…I'd like to meet the Black Rider sometime." He stated, Everyone in the taxi began to once again laugh at Anakin.

"You already have Ani." Angela finally spoke up in amusement. Anakin turned to look at Angela,

"What?!" he exclaimed softly his blue eyes wide in shock at such a discovery. Angela laughed quietly,

"Did you think I wore all black because I like the color?" she asked teasingly,

"You..you're the B..Black Rider?" he stammered softly

"None other." Angela replied proudly with a small smirk.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed in awe, "I had no idea." He added, Angela smiled at the young boy before she quickly glanced out the window; their taxi had already come to a stop right outside the Senates gathering building.

"Oh your highness it appears that we've arrived at our destination….in fact I'd say we've probably been sitting here for like 5 minutes now." The Queen immediately turned to look out a window,

"Oh dear, I think you're right Angela….which means we may be running late. Let's make haste Angela." Without another word Qui Gon opened the taxi's door and quickly stepped out so he could help the Queen out; Obiwan hopped out as well and moved to other door to assist Angela who was already begin to push open the door by herself. Obiwan gently held the door open and offered his hand to Angela who gave him a soft smile and lightly placed her smaller hand in his bigger one. Grabbing her skirts and saber in the other hand, Angela gracefully exited the taxi.

"Thank you Obiwan." She murmured quietly; an appreciative light shone bright within her ocean colored eyes. Obiwan smiled down on her before he released her hand,

"My pleasure Angela." He answered smoothly. Qui Gon and the Queen then swiftly made their way around the side of the taxi to where Angela and Obiwan stood, Qui Gon look down at Angela's hand that held tightly onto her saber,

"Here Angela, let me hold onto your saber while you attend this meeting. I'll take it back to me and Obiwan apartment back at the temple. Once you're finished here, you can come reclaim your possession." Qui Gon politely offered while he reached an open hand out to Angela, who bit her lip in deep thought at his offer before she hesitantly handed over her most prized possession.

"That's very kind of you Qui Gon. Thank you." Said Angela

"Come Angela we must be on our way." The Queen spoke while she gave the two Jedi men a soft nod of thanks before she turned from them to walk over and enter the building; Angela began to follow but stopped quickly and turned back to the two Jedi,

"I hope things go smoothly for your meeting with the Council. Tell Anakin I wish him the best of luck and that my and Padme's heart is with him." With a soft nod at Qui Gon and quick glance at Obiwan, Angela picked up her long shirks and spun on her heel to follow the Queen into the building. Once she and the Queen were out of sight, Qui Gon, holding Angela's saber and Obiwan got back into the taxi that instantly took off to the Temple……

Angela and Queen Amidala took quick, long strides through the large building. When they came upon a fairly large door, Senator Palpatine, just like the Queen had stated earlier, was there waiting for them.

"Ah your majesty wonderful to see you again," his eyes soon turned on Angela, "Ah and who is this charming young flower?" he smoothly asked with a small smile,

"Senator I'm sure you remember Angela." The Queen answered, Senator Palpatine, who kept his gaze on Angela, laughed softly

"Of course! How could I forget the famous Black Rider." he answered, "Oh my dear," he addressed Angela while he walked up to her and took her by the hand, "You look like a Queen yourself." Then he lightly kissed the top of her hand formally. Angela's eyes widened softly,

"His skin's cold." She noted, "And there's something about him…that's….familiar…somehow…." she added to her thoughts,

"Thank you Senator. Now, shall we proceed into the Lecture Hall?" she suggested, Queen Amidala nodded her head,

"Yes. Let's get this over with. We are running short on time." With that said the Queen, with her head high walked forward toward the door which slid open automatically and she entered the extremely large Lecture Hall; Angela and Senator Palpatine, once he released her hand followed her closely behind. Once inside the Lecture Hall, Senator Palpatine led Queen Amidala and Angela into a round a floating round congressional box; inside it were a few chairs so the Queen and Angela took a seat side by side, Senator Palpatine moved to stand behind the young woman. All around the Senate's Lecture chamber, thousands of senators and their aids busily spoke about themselves so the room was filled with all sorts of noise. Senator Palpatine leaned down to speak in the Queen's ear.

"Your Majesty, before this begins I must warn you, the Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of greedy squabbling delegates who are only looking out for themselves and their home systems. There is no interest in the common good...no civility, only politics...its disgusting. I must be frank, Your Majesty, there is little chance the Senate will act on the invasion." He explained; Queen Amidala glanced behind her shoulder at him, her brows were furrowed slightly,

"Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope." She defended.

"If I may say so, Your Majesty, the Chancellor has little real  
power...he is mired down by baseless accusations of corruption. A manufactured scandal surrounds him. The bureaucrats are in charge now." He informed. Angela decided to listen in on the conversation,

"What options do we have?" Queen Amidala asked

"Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger Supreme Chancellor. One who will take control of the bureaucrats, enforce the laws, and give us justice. You could call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum." Senator Palpatine suggested.

"Chancellor Valorum has been our greatest supporter. What other choices do we have?" The Queen questioned desperately.

"Our only other choice would to be to submit a plea to the  
courts..." Palpatine began,

"There's no time for that. The courts take even longer to decide things than the Senate. Our people are dying, Senator...more and more each day. We must do something quickly to stop the Federation." The Queen firmly explained; Senator Palpatine let out a sigh,

"To be realistic, Your Highness, I'd say we're going to have to accept Federation control for the time being" The Senator replied. The queen shook her head before turning away,

"That is something I cannot do." She whispered. And then the meeting began. Chancellor Valorum who stood on a floating platform in the center of the room spoke up signaling silence.

"The Chair recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo." He called out to the Senate. Senator Palpatine walked out from behind Angela and the Queen to take the stand. The congressional box that they were in quickly floated out into the center before Palpatine began speaking,

"Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the Senate. A tragedy has occurred on our peaceful system of Naboo. We have become caught in a dispute you're all well aware of, which began right here with the taxation of trade routes, and has now engulfed our entire planet in the oppression of the Trade Federation." At this statement, another box floated out in the center, in it were Trade Federation members being led by it's Senator Lott Dod.

"This is outrageous! I object to the Senator's statements!: he exclaimed in protest. Chancellor Valorum soon stepped in,

"The Chair does not recognize the Senator from the Trade Federation at this time. Please return to your station." He ordered; Lott Dod reluctantly moved back to his place. Senator Palpatine continued,

"To state our allegations, I present Queen Amidala, the recently elected ruler of Naboo, to speak on our behalf." He addressed while stepping aside to let the young Queen take the stand. Queen Amidala rose from her chair and stepped up to begin talking,

"Honorable representatives of the Republic, distinguished  
delegates, and Your Honor Supreme Chancellor Valorum, I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by force. Invaded...against all the laws of the Republic by the Droid Armies of the  
Trade Federation…." At this accusation, Lott Dod quickly jumped in,

"I object! There is no proof. This is incredible. We recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth." He ordered.

"Overruled." Chancellor Valorum spoke up.

"Your Honor, you cannot allow us to be condemned without  
reasonable observation. It's against all the rules of procedure." Lott Dod protested defensively.

"It is the Law." A voice called out in agreement. Chancellor Valorum turned to consult with a few of his aids; after discussing the matter over, he turned back around and addressed the Senate

"Very well then, Queen Amidala of the Naboo, will you defer your motion to allow a commission to explore the validity of your accusations?" Valorum asked. Queen Amidala grew angry at this but kept her composure; Angela who sat watching her friend in this struggle was overcome by sympathy and rage.

"This is Bull right here. Padme does not deserve to face this alone." Angela thought.

"I will not defer...I have come before you to resolve  
this attack on our sovereignty now." Angela nodded her head in agreement and rose from her seat to take a stand next to her friend.

"Do have any idea how ridiculous your request sounds??" Angela boldly asked the Senate who now looked upon Angela with intensity.

"Queen Amidala has come here today, asking you for your help. She has put her life in danger trying to leave her planet to get here and for what point?? Only to her words thrown right back in her face!!" Angela spoke out in anger. Murmurs of the entire Senate were sent around the room; The young Queen looked over next to her and glanced at her friend in admiration. Chancellor Valorum raised his hands and silenced the murmuring Senate.

"And who might you be Miss?" he asked looking directly at Angela.

"Angela Johnson. But perhaps you may know me better as the Black Rider." she answered fearlessly. More whispers and murmurs arose in the Senate, "If you won't take a Queen's word on what she says then perhaps you will listen to someone who has seen and experienced the horrors that are happening on Naboo. In less of course…." Angela paused for dramatic effect and she slowly let her turquoise eyes scan the entire Senate, "You want to challenge me on it." She paused again and glanced around the room,

"Anyone got something to say?" she asked in a challenging manner. The room was silent so Angela continued

"Gentlemen, we did not make up this tragic story to cause commotion in the Senate. We come to you with a serious problem. It's your choice to decide if you going to help us like a _**real**_ Senate or if you're going to just sit back and watch thousands of innocent Republican people die. Take that into consideration now won't you." Angela wisely stated. Lott Dod once again spoke out,

"Who gives you the right to speak Madam?" he asked, Angela turned her eyes on Lott Dod coldly, "You may be a "_well known, heroic figure"_ to the Republic, but in here you are just a simple woman who really ought to keep her mouth shut and stay out of business she has no clue about." He barked mockingly; Angela braced her hands up on the side of the box and leaned out menacingly toward Lott Dod,

"Come and say that to my face Senator Lott Dod. I dare you to." She challenged and watched as Lott Dod swallow nervously before he took a hesitant step away from the front of the box. "That's what I thought." She spoke out at his act of cowardliness. He turned to face Chancellor Valorum,

"I want this woman removed from here at once. She has no right being here and all she is doing is slowing this meeting down." He accused rudely, Queen Amidala quickly jumped in,

"I've had enough of you insulting my Ambassador Senator!" she spoke out boldly and gave him a warning glare,

"Your….your...Ambassador, Your Majesty?" he stammered softly.

"Yes. Angela is also my most trusted Ambassador." She answered Angela softly smirked at his now drawn back form,

"Indeed I am!" she agreed unknowingly before she realized what she had just said; her eyes widened and she turned to look over at the Queen; she lowered her voice to a whisper so only the Queen could hear, "…wait….what?!" she asked The Queen gave her a quick wink and Angela turned back to boldly face the Senate. "I suggest that all of you listen well and hard to what my Queen has to say." Angela finished before she stepped back and once again took her seat. Queen Amidala, feeling bolder continued her last statement, the one she had just started before Angela came to her aid,

"You had asked me Chancellor Valorum if I would defer my motion. I will not! I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee. If this body is not capable of action, I suggest new leadership is needed. I move for a "vote of no confidence"...in Chancellor Valorum's leadership." Queen Amidala called out. Angela's mouth dropped slightly.

"Wasn't expecting her to pull that move just yet." She thought while biting her lip in uncertainty, "This is not going to end well…." She noted while she looked over at Chancellor Valorum who stood stunned at what the young Queen had asked for. Another Senator called out,

"Alderaan seconds the motion for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum." He stated

A sudden eruption of voices began calling out

"Vote now, Vote now, Vote now!" they chanted together. Queen Amidala slowly back away and took a seat next to Angela once more. Senator Palpatine, after he pulled their box back to it's original place and once again stood behind the two young women, he leaned his head down by their ears,

"You see, Your Majesty, the tide is with us...Valorum will be voted out, I assure you, and they will elect in a new Chancellor, a strong Chancellor, one who will not let our tragedy continue..." he assured

"I hope you're right Senator." Amidala replied softly. Angela reached a hand over and placed it on her distressed friend's arm,

"Come your Majesty, there is nothing more for you here. Let us leave this darn Chamber and head back to our own." She offered. Queen Amidala nodded her head in agreement,

'Yes. Let us be gone." She rose from her seat followed by Angela and the two women swiftly left the box and exited the Senate's Lecture Hall. They walked down the hallway side by side in silence, then Angela lightly linked arms with her friend,

"Do you think I made the right decision Angela?" Padme asked quietly,

"I have complete faith in you Padme; I know you'll always make the wisest choice. Trust yourself with that as well." Padme looked at her friend and smiled,

"Where would I be without you?" she asked appreciatively; Angela smirked,

"Locked away on your planet with the Viceroy dangling a freaking treaty in your face." she answered playfully; Padme laughed and Angela joined in.

"Yeah probably." She agreed. Then paused before she spoke up again "You were incredible back there Angela; standing up to the entire Senate for me. Words cannot even describe how grateful I am to you." She confessed thankfully

"Well I wasn't just gonna sit back and watch those dumbbells chew your head off without giving you a fair chance to speak." Angela answered humbly,

"I meant what I said about you being my Ambassador Angela. I would be honored to have a young woman such as yourself by my side. If you're interested in taking on the position of course." Padme offered.

"Padme you should know by now that I'd do anything for you at your request. You have become my closest and truest friend. But I know very little about politics, let alone how to be an Ambassador." Angela declare honestly

"What more do you need to know? You're wise, caring, you place others before yourself no matter what the cost is, and you're not afraid to speak your mind. Your perfect for the job and in my honest opinion, the Senate needs more people like you." Angela smiled softly at her friend

"How can I say no to you?" she laughed softly, "I'd be honored Padme, being your Ambassador." Said Angela; a full smile bloomed across Padme's face at her friend's acceptance. Then the girls walked somewhat cheerfully down the hallway, to the outside where a taxi waited patiently to take them back to where they've been staying at.


	32. Chapter 32: Meeting under the Stars

CHAPTER 32: Meeting under the Stars

Once back in Padme's private chamber, Angela and Padme helped each other out of their formal wear until both young women stood only in their corset and floor length slip. Angela then kicked off her slippers and walked over to the fairly large and elegant bed in the center of the chamber and collapsed on it.

"Free!" she exclaimed, "I'm free!" she over joyously cried as she stretched her arms high over her head while laying back on the bed; most happy to be rid of her constraining clothes. Padme, who still wore her massive headdress, and who had just finished picking up her discarded Queenly clothing from the floor looked up, smiled and laughed at friend. Angela propped herself up on her arms and grinned at Padme,

"What?? You can't honestly tell me that you're not happy to be rid of those blasted clothes." She pointed out.

"I'm not saying I'm not happy, I just find it cute how you find the simplest things to be so……amazing." Padme answered

"Let me tell you something Padme, when you dress a girl up like me……in something like that," Angela pointed a finger over to her where her blue gown and petticoats sat on the floor, "….it's not a simple thing." She lightly informed her friend; Padme raised an amused eyebrow at Angela,

"Oh really? How so?" she asked humorously

"Well for one thing, I'm a girl who likes to wear stuff in which I can freely move around in" Angela answered "….not to mention **breathe**!" she added. Padme threw her head back and laughed before she simply shook her head and walked over to the bed where Angela sat before Padme took a seat along side her. Padme then reached both her hands up to her headdress and then carefully began to pull it off. Though Padme still had to wear her white makeup, she was still happy to be able to remove her obnoxious headdress.

"Ugh," Padme groaned as she lifted the heavy thing off her head; her long, dark brown hair that was neatly tied up in a braid fell freely down her back, "I swear the headdresses are the worst part of being Queen. They make your neck sore, they restrain your hair, plus they're not even that attractive." Padme explained.

"No kidding." Angela agreed. Padme turned to the side of her where a small nightstand was and she carefully placed her headdress on it; then she turned back to Angela.

"Well…..today was…..productive…." Padme sarcastically stated. Angela softly snorted.

"Has the Senate always been like that?" she asked, Padme shook her head while she swung her braid over her left shoulder and began unweaving it.

"No. The Senate has changed so much according to Senator Palpatine. It's shameful really." Padme answered; Angela glanced down in her lap recalling the entire meeting

"…..that Lott Dod was asking for it…." She grumbled irritably; Padme looked over at her friend and smiled,

"Indeed he was. I swear, there were points when it looked like you were going to throw yourself at him and beat his head in." Padme stated humorously; Angela smirked,

"I was considering it." She answered playfully; both girls began to giggle. Then Angela glanced behind her shoulder at the window on the far side of the bedchamber; the sun was setting on Corescant and the sky was quickly darkening to black.

"Hey Padme," Angela began while she continued staring at the window, "What time is it?" she asked; Padme looked over at her nightstand again and glanced at a small clock,

"Uh it's….almost eight." She answered, Angela turned back around to stare at her friend.

"Eight?" Angela double checked, "4 hours till I have to meet with Obiwan." She reminded herself in thought, "Oh." She murmured, "Feels earlier than that."

"I'd say it feels later to me…" said Padme,

"Let's talk about something." Angela randomly suggested,

"What do you want to talk about??" Padme asked curiously; Angela smirked at her friend

"What **can't **we talk about?" Angela mischievously pointed out; a full smile bloomed across both girls' faces.

"I've got an idea." Padme spoke out excitedly,

"Do tell." Angela answered with great interest

" We'll ask each other any questions that we want , and the other has to answer it honestly no matter what it is." A mischievous twinkle shone within Padme's brown eyes; Angela smirked and raised an eyebrow,

"Any question that we want?" Angela asked

"Precisely." Padme answered; Angela laughed

"Oh this is gonna be interesting." She stated

"I'll go first," Padme spoke up, "Ok Angela first question: Have you ever been kissed by a guy before?" she asked excitedly; Angela smiled softly,

"Yes. But only once." Angela answered, Padme's eyes once again lit up,

"Only once?" she repeated Angela nodded her head,

"Yup; I decided after that first time I would wait till I found the right guy." Angela answered

"So then you've never been with a guy before?" Padme questioned curiously, Angela's brow rose softly

"Been with a guy? You mean…..intimately?" A small blush came to Padme's cheeks and she nodded her head; Angela smiled

"Nope, I haven't and I won't until I'm married." She answered; Padme smiled, Angela smirked

"Alright Padme, my turn….same question." Angela asked

"No for both." She answered proudly. Angela laughed softly,

"I guessed as much." Said Angela

"A few seconds ago, you mentioned marriage; do you plan to marry one day?" Padme asked as her second question, Angela bit her lip in thought then slowly nodded her head

"Yes. If I find the right guy." Angela answered truthfully,

"Do you want kids? If so, how many?" Padme continued her interrogation

"That's two questions!!" Angela exclaimed playfully,

"They're practically the same." Padme defended; Angela shook her head and smiled at her persistent friend,

"Yes I want kids. I've always wanted a big family, so when it comes to numbers I want at least four or five." Padme's eyes widened

"Awww!" she murmured sweetly. And so for hours, the girls continued asking each other questions; learning each others secrets and desires until at last both girls fell soundly asleep on the bed….

Angela's body woke her up, wide awake in the middle of the night; Padme slept peacefully next to her. The bedroom chamber was now pitch black with the exception of the few lights coming in from the window across the room. Angela, being careful not to disturb her sleeping friend, silently rolled out of bed and rose to her feet; she glanced over at the clock sitting on the nightstand, it read 11:27 P.M. Angela swore inside her head,

"Blast! I'm running late!" she mentally kicked herself; Angela gently lifted her white slip up past her ankles and she swiftly made her way over to the window. After unlocking it, she pushed it open; it was wide enough for her to climb through, but once Angela propped her leg up on the windowsill, another issue came to mind. A cool breeze blew in from outside and hit Angela; goose bumps appeared all over her skin. She looked down on herself; Angela was only dressed in her white lace corset and white lacy slip that if you look closely at it, it was kind of see-through.

"Great! Just perfect. Ugh, I don't have time for a wardrobe change!!" she screamed within her head. Quickly thinking, Angela lowered her leg from the windowsill turned and silently tip-toed across the floor to Padme's Wardrobe. After opening it up and rummaging around in its content, she pulled out a white satin dressing gown that matched what she was wearing. She quickly slipped her arms in its long flowing sleeves and wrapped the dressing gown tightly around her waist before she tied it there with the two laces given.

"And now that I'm presentable," Angela told herself while she lifted her dragging gown off the floor before she hastily made her way back over to the opened window. Without wasting another second, she climbed out of the window and stood tall on its edge; her turquoise eyes scanned over the still city of Corescant. They landed on a massive building located West of where she was; she noted its size and the towering spires that stood tall against the night sky,

"So that's where I'm headed." She murmured softly, before looking down. Angela was so high up, she couldn't even see the bottom, "Going down is definitely a no go!" she stated while raising her gaze back up from the drop. "Looks like I'm "building-hop" then." She whispered while her eyes once again began scanning around for a place she could jump to. The building she was at right now was the only one on its side of the street; at least for a great distance it was, but across from her were multiple smaller ones that were almost aligned perfectly with the exception of their height differences. The closest one was about 50 feet across. Angela swallowed nervously but then grew very determined. With a deep breath in, and the force at her touch Angela, threw her body forward and leaped across the great distance; she landed in a crouching position on the roof of the smaller building. When she rose to her full height and turned to the west, relief flooded her body; from what it looked like, it would be nothing but smooth sailing for her. After hitching her white gown up past her knee; Angela took off running before she once again flew into the air to land on the next building. And she kept doing this for about 20 minutes; as the temple came closer into view, her determination to get there grew, and she quickened her pace. Once she had covered the last building, Angela realized she'd have to walk the last couple miles to the temple. So she swiftly dropped to the empty streets below; her heart was pounding and her breathing was labored, she could feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins, giving her strength. Angela walked a few steps before she began to jog, pretty soon that jog turned to a run. She was covering the distance like she was born to run. After another 15 minutes, Angela slowed her pace to a slow jog before she stopped completely. Standing still before it, looking ever so tall to her, being the biggest building she has ever seen was none other but the grand Jedi Temple.

"Wow…." She managed to whisper. "Now obviously I can't just walk through the front door…or any door for that matter," Angela leaned her head back to see exactly where the roof was; her mouth dropped open in shock, "Dear Lord!" she exclaimed, "…that has to be at more than a thousand feet!" she estimated before groaning at what seemed to her like an impossible task. "This plan seemed so much easier in my head…" she grumbled; after letting out a long sigh Angela began to advance up to the Temple; she stuck close to one if its sides before she began to actually jump and climb up it's wall. With her hands tightly latching onto ledges, and indents; she began pulling herself up the Temples side. Her palms started getting sweaty after the first five or six minutes of nonstop, hardcore climbing, soon after that her arms felt like they were on fire and Angela could feel sweat trickle down her temple. She had covered about 100 feet when her body gave up; and she became stuck. Groaning again, Angela lifted her head up to the sky,

"God help me." She pleaded quietly; "Ugh there has to be an easier way then this. I mean what am I? Spiderman? I don't think so!!" she swore. Just when she was about to give up hope, Angela glanced up next to her; at a 20 feet diagonal angel, rested a stone platform; her eyes widened.

"Balcony!" her head screamed. Using what was left of her Strength; Angela forced jumped high up in the air, flipped, and silently landed on the firm balcony. Taking this opportunity to catch her breath, Angela began thinking of a plan.

"I'm not going to scale the rest of this freaking temple," she told herself while she once again looked up; now straight above her head was a huge square ledge that stuck out; it hung about 15 feet in the air. Angela realizing that she shouldn't linger on the balcony anymore she mustered up her strength and jumped up; swiftly taking hold of the ledge. After pulling her dangling body up onto the wide ledge she realized she stumbled upon a windowsill; and Angela could actually look inside through the large window she now sat upon. Through the dark glass, Angela could see an empty long going hallway, the lights in the hallway were dim, meaning all in the Temple were probably asleep. Angela bit her lip in deep thought,

"Maybe if I stay extremely quiet….I can find a staircase or elevator to get me up on that darn roof." She wondered, "….of course then I'd be breaking into the Jedi temple which might not sit so well with the Jedi…." She soon pointed out, After giving it some thought, a strong feeling of defiance and determination took over Angela. "I'm the freaking Black Rider, dangit! I've been able to breech security at a royal palace, escape from two Sith lords untraceably, so I **can** sneak through this temple unnoticed as well!" she encouraged herself before she carefully and silently began to open the window; luckily for her, it could be pushed in, giving her easy access to the inside. Once she hopped on through and closed the window behind her she froze in place; listening and watching her surroundings carefully, Angela felt she was in the clear and swiftly took off down one of the long hallways of the temple. At the very end of it, was exactly what Angela was looking for; an elevator. Angela cautiously pushed the glowing button to call for the elevator and the doors slid open silently; Angela jumped softly being startled by the fast response and she glanced inside; it was empty so she rushed in and pushed the button that would take her to the highest floor. Once the elevator doors slid closed, the small compartment began moving upwards at a fairly quick speed. After 4 minutes or so, it stopped at Angela's destination; the doors quickly opened up for her Angela walked on out. To her disappointment, she wasn't at the roof; she was still one floor below it. Resisting the urge to stomp around and use every swear word known to Man, Angela quickly spotted another window.

"Well it just gonna be one more floor….I think I can scale that much….at least…" she grumbled before she swiftly made her way over and pushed open the window; a cool powerful gust of wind blew in from the night sky causing Angela to lightly shiver beneath her dressing gown. But not letting that hold her back, she hopped onto the window's ledge, turned to face the wall, leaped high up into the air and tightly latched onto the wall once more.

"Left….right….left….right…." she drilled herself as she forced her arms to pull herself up higher on the wall; she painfully covered the final 20 feet or so within 10 minuets before her hands latched onto to the roof's ledge and she weakly pulled her tired and sore body onto it. Once her feet were firmly touching the ground, she collapsed on her knees in exhaustion, her breathing was coming in quick gasps, and her heart was pounding wildly in her breast.

"I'm never….." she panted, "…..doing this…." She paused to take in a deep breath, "…..again!!" she muttered out loud before she forced herself to rise to a standing position. While she let her body cool down from her traumatizing escapade, she looked freely around the rooftop; it was square shaped, smooth and flat, about 20 by 30 feet in length. On the far side on the roof, in a corner, was what looked to be a small hut which Angela guess was the doorway to get up on the roof. But what Angela noticed right off the back was not the detail of the roof, but the fact that besides her, it was empty….Obiwan had not come.

"Surly it's already Midnight….if not past…." Angela stated quietly, a feeling of disappointment began settling on her form. "Maybe I came too late…." She murmured softly; another cold gust of wind struck Angela, sending a shudder throughout her body. She slowly, silently began to walk about on the roof; her arms were now tightly crossed over her chest in an attempt to stay warm. It was a very cool night out, but on the Brightside, the sky was clear giving Angela a perfect view of the stars and moon above. Every minute or she, she would look up at the black sky, it gave her comfort when she saw the moon.

"Hmmm…" Angela thought, "….moon…." she whispered softly before a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, Angela took in a deep breath and began to gently sing her most familiar and loved song,

"Moon so bright, night so Fine,

Keep your heart here with mine,

Life's a dream, we are dreaming,

Race the moon, catch the wind,

Ride the Night, to the end,

Seize the day, stand up for the light…"

Angela paused her singing to take in another breath so she could continue on with the chorus,

"I want to spend my lifetime loving you,

If that is all in life I ever do….

Heroes rise, heroes fall,

Rise again, win it all,

In your heart, Can't you feel the glory?

Through our joy, through our pain,

We can move worlds again,

Take my hand, Dance with me....

I want to spend my lifetime loving you,

If that is all in life I ever do,

I will want nothing else to see me through,

If I could spend my lifetime loving yo…."

Angela stopped singing abruptly at the sound of a door opening up and softly closing; she at this time stood facing away from the entrance of the roof. She stood still silently and waited; when the sound of two boots walking across the rooftop, making their way slowly toward Angela, reached her ears, her heart began to race again and her hands started shaking softly. As the steps got nearer, a small smile came to Angela's lips; she could sense right off the bat that Obiwan had come. When she was sure that he was close enough to hear her speak, Angela opened her mouth,

"Couldn't stay away huh?" she lightly teased while she still faced away from Obiwan; she heard his steps stop just a few feet behind her, his light deep smooth voice soon spoke up,

"You're asking me this when it was you who came to the Jedi temple in the first place?" he humorously answered; Angela could hear the smile in his voice, she slowly glanced over her shoulder at him and gave him a soft smirk,

"Touché." She said while turning around completely to face him. He softly chuckled, a gentle and caring light shone bright in his beautiful blue-green eyes as he stared down at Angela's smaller form; she shyly looked down and quickly picked up a serious composure before she boldly looked up and stared him in his eyes, she lightly cocked her head to the side as she quickly studied the handsome Jedi before her,

"You know Obiwan, I've have always made good judgment calls in all the 17 years I've been alive, and not once have I found a reason to question myself. Or at least that's how it was," Angela paused to let her message sink before she added, "….until I met you." Angela watched as his eyes widened softly at her words, he was obviously taken back; Angela continued,

"Now I seem to question myself all the time. I no longer know what to do." Angela softly explained; she then looked down and gave a sad small smile before she began to walk around again; Obiwan's eyes watched her closely, "My father, was a great man, he still is, and what he had taught me, ever since I was just a child, was that I should trust my instincts, "go with them" he say "for it will always lead you down the right path…."," Angela paused again before she slowly glanced over her shoulder at Obiwan who stood about five feet away, after taking in a quick breath Angela boldly finished her sentence, "well…..all my instincts seem to be pointing to you." She confessed, her voice was barely a whisper but she knew Obiwan had heard her because she heard him in take a sharp breath. Feeling heat rise to her cheeks suddenly, Angela shyly turned away and waited for Obiwan to say something. But he remained silent; Angela hugged her arms closer to her chest and gave a soft nervous laugh,

"I'm not making any sense am I??" she asked feeling awkward and stupid. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come." She apologized quickly before she lowered her crossed arms to her side and began to walk off toward where she had come from. After only taking three steps, a gentle, warm hand reached out from behind her and closed around Angela's left hand, she froze in step. Obiwan took a couple steps toward her; she hesitantly turned around to face him, raising her eyes to look up at Obiwan's face. His deep blue-green eyes stared back gently,

"Actually you have made perfect sense to me Angela," he spoke, "….for I feel the same way." As those words left his lips, relief flooded Angela,

"Then I am not alone in this…." She thought quietly to herself before speaking up again, "Seriously?" she asked. Obiwan nodded his head and took another step closer,

"From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I knew that there was something….special about you, something that I couldn't explain but I could sense it," he explained tenderly; Angela smiled softly, and Obiwan continued,

"That day on Naboo, when we ran into each other….literally…..I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since then. Everything about you draws me in." Obiwan paused for a second, "And now that I have met you, I have a strong need to be….." Angela could see the words he was going to say within his eyes so she finished his sentence with him,

"….closer to you." They spoke in unison. Angela nodded her head,

"I know….the feeling's mutual…" she whispered before she sighed and softly shook her head, "What does this mean??" she asked, "….we hardly know each other and yet somehow…I feel like we're….."

"Connected." They spoke in unison once more, Obiwan smiled softly down at her and Angela lightly smiled back, Obiwan gave her hand a gentle squeeze,

"My master has always taught me that the force always has a will, a reason for why things happen," Obiwan began explaining,

"Do you believe that…..our meeting….wasn't just of coincidence?" Angela asked, Obiwan sighed,

"I believe that….in some way …our destiny's are intertwined." He answered; Angela softly nodded her head in understanding,

"So what shall we do about it?" she murmured quietly,

"What can we do?" he asked curiously, Angela looked him deep in his eyes before she sighed and glanced down at the floor,

"Logically," she began, "I think it would be best if we went our separate ways….but….my instincts tell me," she paused for a second, "….that if I made that choice, I'd regret it for the rest of my life." Angela paused to take in a shuddering breath before she added, "Plus, now that we have come to an understanding," Angela slowly raised her eyes to meet Obiwan's gaze, "I don't think I am capable of staying away from you." She confessed softly, feeling a small blush rise to her cheeks. Obiwan raised Angela's hand that he held up to his lips and he lightly kissed it, his eyes not once leaving her face,

"Then don't." he whispered. A warm feeling that had ignited deep within Angela's body spread through her like a fire, a small smile tugged at her lips before she raised her free hand up to the side of her face to tuck a loose strand of her long strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.

"We'll see." She playfully teased, and Obiwan gave her a heart-melting smile, a sudden gust of the cool night's air blew by Angela and Obiwan; Angela shivered, Obiwan glanced down at her hand that he still lightly held,

"Angela you're shaking," he softly pointed out before he looked back up at her, "Are you cold?" he asked while his eyes lightly scanned over Angela's body, "What are you wearing beneath that thing?" he asked curiously signaling toward her white dressing gown, Angela blushed a deeper shade of red at his question before she lowered her head away from his gaze,

"…..practically nothing…." She mumbled shyly. With her head still lightly bowed Angela heard the rustling of clothing and soon felt Obiwan wrap his arms around her shoulders while he draped his light brown cloak over her small frame. She looked up at him in surprise; now he was only dressed in his white tunic and leggings with his brown knee high boots.

"Oh Obiwan, this is really sweet of you…but aren't you cold?" she asked, Obiwan smirked softly,

"It's a little chilly, but you need that more than I do. I wouldn't want you falling ill because of our little meeting." He answered tenderly, then he paused and his brows furrowed softly in deep thought, "Speaking of which Angela, how did you manage to get here undetected?" he asked curiously; Angela laughed,

"Well I scaled the Temple wall for about 120 feet before I came through a window, used an elevator, climbed the wall again and pulled myself up and over that ledge." She explained proudly; Obiwan's eyes widened in shock,

"You did all that?? And broke into the Temple?" he asked in disbelief; Angela nodded while she wrapped his cloak more tightly around her; it was warm and smelled lightly of a man's cologne.

"You surprised?" she raised an eyebrow at him; a look of admiration came into Obiwan's eyes,

"I don't know of many people who have been able to successfully break into the Temple without setting off some alarm or being spotted by someone." He spoke in awe,

"Well I'm not like many people Obiwan Kenobi." She answered mischievously; Obiwan smirked,

"Tell me about." He spoke humorously. Angela smiled before she shyly asked,

"Are you doing anything tommor…er…today actually?" she asked curiously, Obiwan thought about it for a few seconds,

"Not that I'm aware of." He answered, "Why?" he asked wondered,

"Well since it is my first time in Corescant, I'd like to go a little sight seeing while I still can, so it looks like I'm in need of a tour guide." She hinted softly, Obiwan smiled,

"Really? Well then, perhaps I can be of assistance." He replied, "In fact, why don't I give you the grand tour of the Temple. It is one of the most breathtaking sights in all of Corescant." He assured, Angela smiled before shrugging her shoulders,

"Sounds good to me." She answered,

"Then it's settled." Said Obiwan,

"Indeed it is." Angela agreed, "Oh….perhaps it's best if I head back now…." She mumbled disappointingly,

"How do you plan to get back?" Obiwan asked, Angela shrugged her shoulders again,

"Same way I came in I suppose," Angela answered undecidedly, Obiwan thought about her answer for a second,

"I'll take you back." Obiwan offered

"Oh Obiwan that's really not necessary," she quickly added,

"I know," he answered, "….but I want to." The he softly smiled at Angela while he began to lead her over to the roof's door "Come on, we'll cut through the Temple this time. That way, no scaling is involved." He teased.

"Uh can you do that? I wouldn't want you getting in trouble because of me" Angela stated

"Well technically I'm not permitted to unless I get permission from the council. But I think this once I can risk breaking a rule or so." Obiwan replied as he opened up the door and began leading Angela down a small flight of stairs,

"Ooo rebel." Angela lightly joked; Obiwan glanced over his shoulder and playfully glared at her causing her to laugh softly. At the bottom of the stairs, they passed into a long hallway; at that very end of it was an elevator. Obiwan quickly pulled Angela through the elevator and hit the button for the main floor.

"Nervous??" Angela asked while raising an eyebrow at his form, he looked over at her curiously,

"No, why?" he asked,

"You seem anxious and jumpy; afraid you'll get caught?" Angela lightly teased a soft light twinkled in her eyes,

"A Jedi doesn't know fear." He answered casually

"Uh huh….sure." She answered; not believing his statement. After a few minuets of descending, they finally reached the main floor; the elevator doors swiftly opened; and Obiwan once again began to pull Angela along; Obiwan was moving so quickly, Angela practically had to jog to keep up with his long strides. They passed by tall pillars, statues, endless corridors, so many things Angela couldn't keep up with them; not to mention it was kinda hard to since everywhere in the temple was pretty dark, or very dimmed.

"This place is like a Labyrinth." Angela murmured behind Obiwan's leading form; he smirked at her comment,

"It would seem like one wouldn't it?" he agreed.

After weaving and sneaking their way through the Temple unnoticed, Obiwan had managed to finally get Angela out of the massive building that was his home, and escort her out onto Corescant's empty streets. They both were able to catch the breath now that they didn't have to worry about being caught.

"Well best start walking…" Angela lightly grumbled,

"We won't be walking." Obiwan answered before he took off jogging away from Angela and swiftly turned a sharp corner of the temple; Angela watched him disappear in confusion,

"What the heck is that boy doing…er…going??" she asked herself while she put both hands on her hips. A few minutes later, Angela watched in surprise as Obiwan returned from the side of the temple driving a small taxi-looking transport. He pulled the hovering vehicle up alongside Angela; a small smirk played across his handsome features,

"Hop in." he spoke while nodding his head from her to climb in next to him. Angela hesitantly walked around the vehicle and stopped at the copilot's door,

"Are you being serious?" she asked in disbelief at him; he nodded,

"Yes, now come on, we haven't got all morning." He pointed out; Angela shook her head and laughed softly before she braced her arms up on the side of the vehicle and swiftly jumped off the ground while swinging her legs over the side of the vehicle and hopping into the transport leather seat beside Obiwan.

"Hang on." He warned while he took controls and began to drive off into the sky. Angela fell back against her seat at the vehicle's accelerating speed. Obiwan, who had his eyes set out on the empty air lane before them, skillfully drove through the city,

"Do you know where you going?" Angela asked curiously,

"Who's the tour guide?" he answered humorously causing both he and Angela to laugh. Truth was Obiwan did know where he was heading to since he had been to the building where the Queen and Angela were staying at before. In less then ten minuets, Angela spotted her building coming into view,

"Obiwan, I came out through a window, so can you pull up so I can go back through it to save me time?" she asked

"Yeah of course. What floor?" he asked while he been directing the vehicle up higher into the air. Angela squinted her eyes as the building's detail became more distinctive and she swiftly scanned her eyes up the towering building before she raised a finger and pointed,

"There!" she said signaling to the still open window that rested close to the top of the building, Obiwan followed her finger with his gaze,

"I see it." He said while he suddenly directed the vehicle straight up the side of the building. Angela leaned back tense against her seat, her hands were gripping the seat tightly. Though Angela had experienced some rough flying before, she still wasn't use to going up the side of a building at a 90 degree angle. But as soon as it happened, it stopped and Obiwan had successfully pulled the hovering vehicle up alongside the windowsill.

"Obiwan," Angela whispered his name, she was still recovering from the shock of the flying, "…thanks for the ride." She spoke while she turned to him and gave him a soft smile; he returned it with one of his own,

"Anytime Angela." He answered affectionately, a soft twinkle came to his eyes as he stared at Angela, and she soon felt heat, for the third time that morning, rise to her cheeks.

"Well," Angela began before she rose from her seat and turned to stand on top of it. She quickly balanced herself up on her legs then moved to climb through the windowsill, but before she did, she looked back over at Obiwan, who sat at the controls watching her with great interest, she smiled,

"I'll see you in a few hours." She promised, Obiwan smiled back and nodded his head,

"Sleep well Angela." Angela gave him a gentle nod before she swiftly ducked under the frame of the window and entered the dark bedchamber once more. After silently hopping from the sill down onto the floor, Angela turned to face the open window while she pulled the window shut. Obiwan still sat right outside watching her, so she gave him a small wave of acknowledgement, he nodded at her signal before he then started up the vehicle and drove out of sight. Angela watched him with gentle eyes as he turned the vehicle around and took off quickly back to the temple; a tiny smile played on her lips. Then Angela, before she turned away from the window to climb back in bed with her friend, quickly glanced up at the very early morning sky; the stars still shone brilliantly in the dark sky, and the full silver moon hung proudly in the mix of them. A feeling of adventure grew within Angela's heart as she laid silently back down on the bed thinking about Obiwan,

"Oh Angela," she whispered softly to herself as she stared up at the ceiling, "What are you getting yourself into?" she asked "Don't know…." Her heart answered herself, "but whatever it is…..it'll be worth it."

Angela thought about Obiwan's handsome face, his beautiful gentle eyes, well built body, tender touch and for the first time Angela agreed with what her heart told her,

"It'll be worth it." She whispered as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	33. Chapter 33: Obiwan's weakness

CHAPTER 33: Obiwan's weaknesss

Angela awoke from her sleep by the stirring of her friend, Padme, next to her; her ocean-colored eyes fluttered open and was greeted by the morning's light. Angela stretched her arms back behind her head before she rose to a sitting position on the bed.

"Morning Padme…" said Angela groggily while she raised a hand up to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Morning Angela…" Padme's sleepy voice answered right beside her. Angela yawned before she forced her body out of bed; she groaned as her stiff body stretched out and loosened up from her late night escapade. Padme, who was also now moving out of bed, immediately walked over to her wardrobe and began pulling out clothes for the new day. Angela watched her friend with curiosity as Padme pulled out a faded olive green kimono dress with a large white sash around the waist and a dark emerald green gown with gold trim. Padme, with her arms full of the dresses and other materials, walked back over to the bed and neatly laid everything out. Angela turned to face the bed to see what exactly her friend had brought out, and with curious hands, she picked up the dark green gown by the shoulders and held it up for examination. After a few seconds, she glanced over at Padme who was already getting dressed.

"Uh Padme, what's all this?" Angela asked, Padme who now was half dressed casually answered,

"It's what you'll be wearing today." She spoke while she continued putting her heavy looking kimono dress.

"Why??" Angela asked

"Why not??" Padme glanced over at Angela

"Is it necessary? I mean I'd be content with simply wearing my usual Black attire…." Angela explained;

"Your Black attire is unavailable at the moment." Padme informed; Angela's mouth dropped open in shock,

"What!!??" her voice squeaked,

"I had my one of my handmaidens collect your attire when we left for the meeting with the Senate so it could be washed. You'll get it back tomorrow."

Angela groaned, "So I'm stuck wearing the restraining clothes again??" she asked disappointedly

"It'll only be till tomorrow, then you can wear whatever you like. But honestly Angela, you should really stick to wearing these type of clothes…at least when you not on the job." Padme stated; Angela raised an eyebrow at that statement,

"Again…..why??" she questioned,

"It's proper." Padme answered.

"Proper??" Angela repeated, "Padme, don't know if you have noticed, but I'm not really the _**proper**_ type." Angela replied.

"Nonsense Angela," Angela opened her mouth to respond to that but Padme quickly cut her off, "Now hurry up and get dressed." Angela's jaw slanted at her friend's pushiness, but after letting out a long sigh of defeat, Angela began to get dressed. She peeled off the dressing gown that she had forgotten to take off the night before and let it drop to the floor, then came the petticoats, the retightening of her corset, slightly, and then at last the emerald green gown which she quickly slid over her head and stuck her arms through it's short lacy sleeves. Padme helped her fasten the back of the dress up; once it was on securely, Angela looked down on herself, the bodice of the dress was square cut and tight, it pushed firmly on her breasts revealing a little bit of cleavage. The dress's neckline was trimmed with gold as was the dress's hem and the very ends of her sleeves.

"It's a beautiful dress…" Angela murmured softly before she picked up a hairbrush that lied next to her on the nightstand and began to quickly brush her long hair out; Padme who had stepped away from Angela to finish getting dressed herself smiled,

"Yeah and it looks good on you." She answered while she tied her white sash tightly around her petite waist, Angela shrugged her shoulders,

"I suppose so." Padme laughed softly at Angela's answer,

"Oh you know it does, don't deny it." She teased while she walked back over to her wardrobe and began rummaging around for her headdress. While she did, Angela quickly slipped on the matching gold slippers Padme had pulled out for her. A few moments later when Padme immerged, Angela's mouth dropped open at the site of her friend,

"Dear Lord Padme!!!!" she exclaimed while trying to resist the urge to laugh, "What are you wearing on your head now??" she asked as her eyes scanned over another obnoxious headdress, "I though the last one you wore was bad, but that…..," she nodded her head signaling at Padme's headdress, "……that's just ridiculous!" Angela could no longer contain her laughter and it burst out from inside her. Padme glared at Angela; her headdress itself was a white cream color and it contained a wig that almost matched her original hair color; the wig was styled up like fan with a curtain of white beads that hung down on both sides of Padme's face. Angela retained her composure after a few seconds,

"Look, I know these blasted things are bad, you don't have to keep reminding me." Padme grumbled as she walked past Angela and headed into the refresher; Angela followed her friend,

"I'm sorry Padme, it's just where I'm from, even royalty don't dress like that. So a vision of my closest friend in something like that is just hilarious in my eyes. But truly, I meant no offense." Angela sincerely apologized but her smile from earlier still played across her face; Padme was now putting on the white powder for her face and red lipstick, after she was done she turned to Angela with a soft smile,

"It's alright Angela; I can understand where you're coming from. Had it been you looking like this, I would've probably died from laughter myself." Both girls began to giggle at each other before they linked arms and strolled out of the refresher,

"So," Angela began, "What's on today's schedule?" she asked curiously while the two young women walked over to the door on the far side of the room to leave the Queen's chamber,

"Hmm…..well I've got to speak with Senator Palpatine about what's going on with the Senate. Other than that…nothing really…..oh by the way did you ever get you saber back?" Padme asked; Angela gasped in horror,

"No I did not!!" she exclaimed in mortification, Angela's eyes closed and she threw her head back "Oh my poor baby, how could I have forgotten about you??" she asked out loud almost like she was talking with her saber, Padme's eyebrows rose in amusement,

"Uh baby?" Padme asked, Angela glanced over at her friend,

"Look I know she's just a piece of sharp steel, but I work closely with her…..there's a relationship here." Angela explained, Padme began to laugh and Angela joined in,

"I'll have to run over to the Temple to pick it up then…" Angela stated, "Which works for you since you suppose to meet Obiwan there anyways," she reminded herself before she quickly added, "I need to speak with Qui Gon anyways." She lied; Padme nodded her head in understanding.

"Very well, but what do you need to discuss with him?" Padme asked curiously, Angela had to think about that answer for a few seconds,

"Uhhh I was wanting to discuss…… our attacker from Tatooine, maybe he's got a lead about him, and if so, I might be able to track that knucklehead down." Angela answered hurriedly,

"Well alright. But try not to stay too long, I might be needing your assistance sometime today." Padme informed, Angela gave a quick nod of her head,

"Don't worry, I'll be as quick as possible, however I would like a chance to see how Anakin is doing." At the sound of Anakin's name, Padme's eyes lit up,

"Oh yes, please go see Anakin today while you're there, make sure he's handling his new lifestyle alright." Padme softly ordered,

"Of course I will, he's such a sweet boy." Angela murmured Padme nodded her head,

"Yes…very sweet…." She agreed lovingly.

As both young women neared a door that would lead out to a taxi; the two girls unlinked their arms. Angela turned to Padme,

"Would you like me to deliver a message to Anakin for you?" Angela asked; once again Padme's eyes lit up as she nodded her head,

"Please tell him that I hope he's well and that my heart will always be with him." She answered, Angela smiled softly,

"I can do that. Well, I best be off, the sooner I leave the sooner I can return." Angela stated; Padme quickly gave her friend a hug,

"Hurry back now." She said; Angela nodded her head before both young women turned from each other and went their separate ways. As Angela walked through an automatic door leading to an outside platform for taxis, a loud roaring sound filled her ears and she could feel the hard pelting rain as it came down on her skin. Angela quickly glanced up at the sky, which was now darkening quickly because of the storm,

"Oh perfect!" she muttered under her breath while she picked up her long flowing gown and skirts to her shins and took off running across the platform. Cool water splashed up her legs and soaked through her slippers. When Angela came closer to the row of taxis lying at the very edge, her eyes quickly scanned the row to find one with a driver. A sudden honk from one told her that one was available, and without a moment's hesitation, she swiftly sought out the Taxi towards the end of the row and quickly climbed inside. As she slid into the seat and looked up at the driver, she was met by a pair of amused eyes,

"Nice weather today eh?" the driver lightly teased, Angela gave him a soft smile,

"Indeed sir." She answered while she quickly checked out the Driver's profile; he was a humanoid who looked to be in his mid-thirties.

"Where you headed Miss??" he asked politely,

"The Jedi Temple." She answered; the driver's brows rose in surprise,

"What would a lady such as yourself be going to a place like that??" he asked curiously,

"I'm picking up a possession I had left with a friend yesterday." She answered casually.

"What sort of possession if you don't mind me asking?"

"Uh…it's a saber." She replied hesitantly.

"A saber? You don't look like a Jedi, why would you own something like that?" he wondered; Angela gave him a soft smirk,

"Because my work requires it. Men like Yvad Jenos don't normally cooperate, so my saber helps……persuade….them if you will." She explained; Angela watched in amusement as the driver's eyes widened in shock,

"Yvad Jenos? Wait are you…….no….no you can't be the Black Rider." he stated in disbelief; Angela sat back against the taxi's seat,

"Ahh….so the people here have heard about me." She murmured,

"So you're really her?" he asked excitedly; Angela humbly nodded her head, "Incredible! Let me be the first to say what an honor it is to be meeting you at last Black Rider." he formally spoke, Angela gave him a quick nod of her head,

"Thank you for your appreciation. I didn't realize my name was so well known on Corescant."

"Are you kidding me?? Once news had reached us that Yvad Jenos was finally behind bars, the press couldn't stop talking about you for weeks!" the driver informed as he faced front and started the taxi, "Now let's see….you said Jedi Temple?" he asked

"That's correct." She answered

"Alrighty then, to the Temple!" he exclaimed softly as the Taxi rose into the air and flew down through the city. It was a short ride, about 15 minutes or so, and the rain which Angela had hoped would've stopped or at least lightened up a bit, only got heavier. The driver was kind enough stop as close to the Temple as he could get, but Angela saw that she still had some distance to cover before she got inside. Her ocean eyes stared determinedly out the taxi's window as she reached for the handle on the door and turned her body so she could prepare to bolt when needed.

"Thank you sir." She told the driver before she swiftly opened the taxi door and flew out of the car. Grabbing her skirts in both hands, she lifted them off the sopping wet pavement till they almost reached her knees and she took off running for the Temple's entrance. Rain flew into her eyes and ran down her neck; it hit her hard, and instantly soaked through her gown. She quickened her pace and soon found herself slowing down to walk under a large archway before she entered through the massive doors leading into the Temple. Her eyes widened in awe as she walked in further and let her gaze wander about,

"Obiwan was right, this place is breathtaking." She murmured as she noted the marble floors, white walls, and decorative pillars. As her eyes took in her new surroundings, it seemed other eyes were looking at her. Jedi of all races and age were bustling about; most took notice of Angela making her way through the Temple's Foyer. The younger Jedi would give her a small friendly smile while the older ones would simply stare,

"I must look a mess….." she told herself as she stared straight ahead in front of her. She soon passed into a larger room and spotted a older woman standing behind a desk; the woman noticed Angela as well. With a friendly smile, she moved out from behind the desk and approached Angela,

"You seem lost my dear, can I help you?" she asked politely.

"Uh yes…I'm looking for Master Qui Gon. Would you know where I might find him?"

"And who's asking?" the woman asked curiously,

"Angela Johnson. Master Qui Gon told me to stop by to retrieve a possession of mine that I had left with him the day before." She explained.

"And what might that be?" the Jedi woman questioned.

"My saber." As Angela spoke those words, the woman's brows rose softly,

"Saber?? My dear, you're not a Jedi, are you?" she asked with great interest; Angela shook her head,

"No…no I'm not." She answered

"Then how is it that you have a saber?" Angela's brows furrowed in confusion at the woman's question, then it hit her and she softly smiled,

"Oh no Madam, I'm afraid you've misunderstood me. It is not a Lightsaber I'm here for, just a saber."

"What's the difference?"

"Well for one thing, my saber doesn't glow; it's just a long, very sharp piece of metal." She clarified

"Oh….how unusual…" the older woman murmured; Angela shrugged a shoulder,

"It get's the job done." Angela stated.

"Well Miss Johnson, unfortunately I'm not allowed to permit any visitors into the Temple without the approval of the Jedi Council." The woman informed,

"Ahh…..well is there a way I could quickly get a hold of Master Qui Gon?" she asked,

"Not without meeting the Council first and they're busy right now." Angela sighed,

"Surely there's a way. It'll only take a few minutes." Angela softly pleaded,

"I'm sorry my dear, but there's nothing I can….."

A sudden small voice soon cut the woman off from finishing her sentence, "Angela?" it called; Angela glanced behind the woman and caught a glimpse of a familiar boy with sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. A full smile came to her lips,

"Hey Ani, how's it going?" she called back and watched as a cheerful look came over his features before he practically ran over and gave Angela a hug.

"I had a feeling it was you…..you're wet…."he pointed out as he finally pulled away from Angela; Angela smirked and gave a shrug,

"Yeah sort of," she agreed, "I got caught in the rain while coming here." She explained while she reached a hand over and lightly ruffled Anakin's hair,

"Anakin?!" a low and familiar voice called from across the room; Anakin turned away from Angela towards the sound and called back,

"I'm over here Qui Gon sir!" he answered while he gave a soft wave of his hand at Qui Gon who had spotted him and was now crossing the room to where he was.

"Anakin, try not to keep running off like that." Qui Gon softly scolded as he stopped in front of the young boy, then he shifted his eyes up and saw Angela, "Angela?" he asked as he took in her somewhat wet appearance, "Great force! You're wet!" he stated; Angela nodded her head,

"Yup, but it's all good." She answered casually before she soon added, "So where's my saber?" she asked anxiously; Qui Gon smirked at her and softly shook his head,

"Master Qui Gon?" the older woman finally spoke up again and Qui Gon turned to look at her, "Do you know this young woman?" she asked her eyes turning back on Angela,

"Yes, Angela is working on the mission with me and my apprentice." He answered, and then Anakin quickly threw in,

"She's the Black Rider!" he informed proudly; the older woman's mouth dropped open slightly at the news; Qui Gon continued, the woman looked to Qui Gon for an explanation,

"She's here to pick up her saber which is currently back at my apartment." He finished.

"Oh of course!" the woman replied, before she turned back to Angela and gave her an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry my dear, I had no idea you were here on business." she began, "I'll leave you in Master Qui Gon's hands, and for future reference, you are always welcome here." She stated before she turned to Qui Gon and gave a soft bow before she turned on her heel and walked back over to her desk without another word. Feeling puzzled at the woman's quick change in attitude towards she looked over to Qui Gon,

"Uh….Qui Gon?" Angela asked; Qui Gon looked down at here and gave her a soft smile

"You're pretty famous in here Angela. A lot of Jedi hold you in high respect." He answered,

"Why?" she asked,

"For all that you've been doing on Naboo and for its people." He explained,

"Which isn't really all that much." Angela pointed out,

"For one person to take on a task like yours Angela, it is. Especially at your age. Now, let's head back to my apartment so you can dry off a bit." He stated while he turned away from Angela and began to quickly walk off. Anakin quickly reached over and took Angela by her hand before he began to lead her after Qui Gon's retreating form. Qui Gon's apartment was a few floors up from the Temple's entrance, so after taking a quick elevator ride, his and Obiwan's apartment was just six doors down the long hallway from the elevator. Qui Gon stopped at his door and punched a small code into a keypad that rested beside it and the door slid open with a soft hiss.

"Come on in you two." He called to Angela and Anakin as he swiftly entered his fairly large apartment room; Anakin pulled Angela along beside him and they entered together. Once inside, the door closed automatically, and Angela instantly began to look about with curiosity. It was a simple place with white walls, and a golden brown carpet; furniture was neatly placed in specific areas to give the room an elegant touch. The Living room was located in the center of the apartment, a kitchen and dining area rested on the far right side. If Angela looked to the left from the living room, she could see a short hallway that lead down to a bedroom and a refresher, and when she looked right, there was another hallway that led to second bedroom. By Angela's tastes, the apartment was rather on the plain side, but it was decent. Eagerly, after Angela had some time to look about, Anakin led her over to a sofa in the living room and made her take a seat before he happily plopped down beside her.

"So, how was the meeting with the Senate?" he asked curiously; Angela angled her body to face the young boy,

"Well……it could've gone better." She paused, "I'm afraid that no real action has taken place and from the way things look, it doesn't look like that'll be happening anytime soon." She explained dully.

"Did anything good happen at the meeting?" he wondered; Angela recalled the meeting and the shrugged softly,

"The Queen has named me her Ambassador….of course I don't know what good will come of that." She informed. Anakin smiled

"What are you talking about? You'll make a great Ambassador…. congratulations by the way." Angela smiled softly at the young boy,

"Thank you Ani…..oh! And I have a message from Padme." She watched in amusement as Anakin's blue eyes widened at Padme's name,

"What? What?" he asked eagerly,

"Well she wanted me to tell you that she misses you dearly and hopes that you are well and adjusting to your new lifestyle. She also wanted me to remind you that her heart will always be with you." Anakin seemed to glow with happiness at that moment, and as he did, Qui Gon returned to the group carrying a steaming cup of tea in one hand and a small towel in the other; he walked over and handed the both to Angela who accepted them greatly.

"Thank you Qui Gon." She said as she watched the older Jedi take a seat in an arm chair diagonal to the couch; Qui Gon, at her acknowledgement gave her a soft smile,

"You're welcome Angela." He answered. Angela lifted the steaming cup up to her lips and she took a small sip; its warmth spread instantly throughout her body. She had almost forgotten all about her wet clothes by the time she had finished her hot beverage. The sound of footsteps echoing down the left hallway alerted Angela from behind, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Obiwan. Her eyes widened slightly at his appearance and she quickly averted her gaze and turned to face front again; but in the end that did nothing for her since he ended up walking into the center of the room anyways. Obiwan stood shirtless with a white towel draped around his broad shoulders; Angela's eyes, against her will, let them quickly scan over Obiwan's form and she noted his wet spiky hair, "He must've come out the shower…." She whispered inside her mind before her eyes traveled lower; his chest and abdomen were nicely tanned, as were his powerful and muscular arms and he had a very distinguished six-pack. "Dear Lord!" her mind exclaimed, "He's gorgeous!!" Angela had to quickly pull her eyes away from Obiwan so no one could see her instant attraction to him. And Obiwan, who didn't realize that Angela had come into their apartment, soon noted her sitting on the couch. After taking a few seconds to check her out, he smirked softly before speaking out,

"I see that Angela has come to pay us a visit," he began, Angela, at her acknowledgement, turned her attention onto the young and handsome Jedi, "….hmm…looks like I wasn't the only one who decided to take a shower." He noted humorously, "You know Angela, it's much easier doing it without all your clothes on." At his comment Angela glared up at him,

"Watch it Obiwan," she muttered dangerously, "I may be in a dress, but that won't stop me from kicking your butt if you provoke me." She warned playfully, Obiwan's smirk widened and Qui Gon softly chuckled,

"Ooh, careful Angela, my apprentice takes challenges very seriously." The older Jedi informed with an amused smirk on his face. Angela turned her head to look at Qui Gon,

"Well what a coincidence, so do I," she answered while turning back to Obiwan; she leaned in his direction slightly before adding, "….and I never lose" Obiwan's smirk now turned into a full smile,

"That'll change in a second." He answered; Angela cocked an eyebrow at him

"Oh really? Well…..you can try." Said Angela as she rose from her seat on the couch. Obiwan took a challenging step towards Angela; their eyes were locked on each other's faces.

"Bring it Jedi!" she dared.

"Ladies first." Obiwan stated with a small smirk, Angela grinned back,

"Then move." She wittily replied; Qui Gon who sat back watching the two with great interest chuckled at the scene before him,

"Ok you two, calm down. If you guys wanna start a wrestling match, you can do it in the arena, not my living room."

Both Angela and Obiwan looked over at the older Jedi before they both murmured a slightly disappointed "ok"

"Good." Qui Gon continued, "Now, Obiwan get a shirt on. Since you and Angela have so much energy in your systems right now, why don't the two of you go walk around the temple for a couple hours." He suggested; Obiwan nodded his head and quickly glanced over at Angela,

"Of course Master." He obediently answered before he swiftly walked off to his room where he got his white tunic and brown cloak before he returned to the group. Angela who stood patiently in her spot, watched Obiwan walk back into the living room. Their eyes locked onto each other instantly, and both Angela and Obiwan gave each other a small secret smile while Anakin suddenly spoke up,

"Hey Qui Gon, who do you think would win in a fight? Angela or your apprentice?" he asked curiously as his bright blue eyes shifted from Angela to Obiwan.

"….me…." Obiwan softly murmured under his breath, Angela heard this and quickly turned on the younger Jedi and playfully reached over to punch him in his arm.

"Uh he asked _**Qui Gon**_, not Obiwan Kenobi." She pointed out,

"I believe that I have a right to state my own personal opinion _**Angela**_……" he paused his emphasizing sentence before he reached a hand up and lightly scratched the side of his head in deep thought, "What's your maiden name?" he asked curiously, Angela smiled before answering

"Johnson."

"Oh….well…thank you _**Angela Johnson**_!" he finished. Angela laughed and shook her head before she turned her attention back over to Qui Gon who sat thinking about his answer to Anakin's question.

"My answer would have to be," he began, "that neither one of them would win. They're both too stubborn and hardheaded to let the other be victorious. A fight between them would most likely never end." he answered casually. Angela raised an eyebrow at his comment while she made her own protesting response

"That is….." she started before she paused midsentence to rethink Qui Gon's answer, "…..probably very true, actually." She confessed, Obiwan chuckled and nodded his head in agreement,

"Yeah probably." he stated humorously before he quickly added, "Well Angela, are you ready to go?" he asked

"I'm always ready." She replied with a mischievous smirk before she gracefully walked past Obiwan and headed straight for the front door. As it automatically slid open for her, she quickly called back over her shoulder,

"I'll talk to you later Anakin!" she promised while she left Qui Gon's and Obiwan's apartment; Obiwan soon followed Angela out after he spoke a few private words with his Master. Angela watched the apartment door seal shut then she shifted her eyes over to where Obiwan stood watching her.

"So," she suddenly spoke up, "…where to?" she asked curiously. Obiwan shrugged his shoulders softly before answering,

"Where do you wanna go?" Angela raised an eyebrow at the tall Jedi before her,

"You're asking me?" she asked in amusement while she quickly looked him up and down, "What kind of tour guide are you?"

Obiwan threw his head back and laughed; Angela playfully rolled her eyes at him before she turned on her heels and quickly took off down the left hallway from the apartment. Obiwan had to jog to keep up with her long, swift strides; when he was just a few feet behind her, he reached a hand out and gently grasped her wrist, bringing her to a slow walk.

"Last time I checked, **I** was the tour guide." He pointed out; Angela stopped walking and glanced behind her shoulder at him,

"And you're doing a marvelous job at it." She sarcastically teased; Obiwan grinned

"Normally do." He answered mischievously. Angela smirked at him and shook her head before she lightly pulled her wrist away from his hold,

"Arrogant Jedi…" she humorously muttered under her breath. Obiwan smiled and chuckled softly before he took a few steps forward so he and Angela were lined up side by side,

"Shall we move on?" he politely asked; Angela smiled and nodded her head silently. Then the young pair continued their way down the endless hallway; on their way; every now and then, Obiwan would point out a few things and state a few facts about the Jedi Temple. As they moved on through, they came to a large doorway that opened up to a large room; inside the room were younglings who looked to be about Anakin's age and they all seemed to be engaged in a training activity. Angela, as she and Obiwan walked further into the room, quickly noted the strange looking helmets that they wore on their heads and the small hovering globes before them. Obiwan looked over at her and saw the curiosity that was clearly displayed on her face at the moment,

"This is one of the training arenas." He quietly stated; Angela looked over at Obiwan,

"One?" she repeated; Obiwan nodded his head,

"We have a few of these rooms scattered throughout the entire Temple." Then he gave a soft nod in the direction of a group of younglings, "What you see the younglings doing in a simple training exercise to learn how to use the force to sense the unseen." He explained as both he and Angela walked around the side of the arena; Angela nodded her head in understanding. As her eyes quickly scanned all over the room, they landed on a few doors in the far back. Filled with curiosity, she quickly made her way over to the first door and hesitantly opened it up; it was another room, smaller than the arena but still had decent space within it. The room was empty so she stepped inside and moved to stand in the center of it; Obiwan had followed the curious young woman inside and softly closed the door behind him. Angela looked all around,

"What the purpose of this room?" she asked

"Private training." He answered as he moved to stand next to Angela, "Mainly for some one-on-one dueling." Angela turned to face Obiwan,

"Is that all you Jedi do? Train for your whole entire life?" she asked, Obiwan thought about her question for a few moments,

"Well….yes," he answered, "A Jedi must be prepared for anything. And to do that you must master all sorts of skills."

"Such as?" she questioned while thinking about all her skills that she acquired,

"Levitation, using the force, hand-to-hand combat, acrobatics, stuff along those lines." He explained, Angela pondered his list for a few moments,

"I see……" she murmured, "…well what do you guys do for fun?" she questioned

"Fun??" Obiwan repeated, feeling slightly confused at her question, Angela simply nodded her head,

"Yeah, you know……like hobbies?" she clarified.

"We don't normally have a lot of time for that….when we're not training; we're normally doing missions…or studying." Angela's mouth dropped open slightly at Obiwan's response

"You're kidding right?" she asked in disbelief, Obiwan slowly shook his head,

"No…..that's just how a Jedi life works. It's very serious, and very hard."

"So I've heard…..but that's almost…..I don't even know the word for it." She answered, Obiwan gave her a soft smile,

"Boring? Difficult?" he suggested, Angela returned his smile,

"I was thinking 'inhuman' but those work too." Obiwan smiled

"I suppose it is," he agreed, "Jedi aren't meant to live normal lives." He murmured; Angela cocked her head to the side

"Why is that?" she asked curiously.

"It's just how things have to be." He answered casually. Angela thought about that statement for a few seconds,

"What exactly, as a Jedi, are you expected to do?" she wondered.

"Well you must always protect the innocent and keep peace in the galaxy." He answered,

"Is that all?" she pushed,

"Well no…there's much more than that. Those two are the main basic expectations, following them would be weaknesses." He answered,

"What about weaknesses?" she asked curiously.

"A Jedi must never have any." He replied. Angela, at his response, raised an eyebrow at him before she began to stroll freely about the room; thinking about what he had said. When she had put almost 15 feet between her and Obiwan, she paused in her step and turned back to face him,

"No weaknesses?" she repeated, "I find that an unattainable expectation." She stated while staring straight at Obiwan. He smirked at her statement before he crossed both his arms over his broad chest,

"Do you now?" he asked in amusement and interest; Angela nodded her head,

"Yes. Everyone has a weakness Obiwan, even a Jedi." She boldly pointed out; Obiwan then cocked an eyebrow in amusement

"Really?" he questioned humorously; Angela, feeling a debate about to come forth, slowly began crossing the room back over to where Obiwan stood. She stopped when she stood about five feet from him,

"Yes. Even you have a weakness Obiwan."

"I have no such thing." He answered casually; Angela rolled her eyes and took another two steps closer,

"Yes, you do." She said firmly

"Well then what is it, Angela? What's my weakness?" he asked challengingly, Angela quickly looked him over and an idea came to her mind. She raised her eyes back up to Obiwan's so he could find a soft twinkle within them and a small seductive small that was now displayed on her lips.

"You tell me Obiwan…" she sweetly spoke while she slowly started to walk up to him. Obiwan was taken back by her sudden mood changed and he instinctively backed away. Angela kept pushing forward until the young, handsome Jedi found himself backed against a wall; Angela took a few more steps in before she stopped just a few inches away from him. Obiwan, who had a very visible confused yet mesmerized expression on his face, gazed down on Angela's smaller form with intensity. Angela met his gaze and smirked while raising a hand up to his Padawan's braid so she could gently play with it. She took it within her fingers and tenderly stroked down the long, silky feeling braid.

"I know you have a weakness Obiwan." she murmured seductively as she dropped her hand from his braid onto his shoulder; her other hand quickly followed up to his other one until they became wrapped around the back of his neck. She watched in amusement as she saw Obiwan swallow nervously; in another bold move, Angela took a step closer and pressed her body up against his. She could feel his body tense up against hers.

"Why so tense Obiwan?" she teased. She then slowly raised herself up on her tiptoes and leaned her head in close to his right ear, "You wanna know how I know?" she whispered, "…because despite the fact that you're a Jedi, you're still human." She explained, "….more importantly, a man." Angela, knowing full well what she was doing, slowly pulled her head back, but not before she planted a soft, tender kiss right on his jaw, then she let her hands unwind from his neck and slid them down his chest before they wrapped themselves around his waist. Her eyes, not once, left his face; she wanted to always see his reactions to her movements. Blue-green eyes locked onto to soft, ocean grey ones, and just like Angela had expected, Obiwan soon wrapped his strong arms tightly around her slim waist as well and he held her firmly against his muscular body. Angela smirked up at Obiwan and softly shook her head,

"What'd I tell you?" she murmured quietly before she swiftly loosened her arms from his waist; she let them slide over his hips before she pulled out of his grasp. She took five, retreating steps back and watched with amusement at Obiwan who looked extremely confused by her actions.

"What was that all about?" he asked, Angela smirked,

"It proved my point." She answered. Obiwan raised a puzzled eyebrow,

"How?" he questioned.

"Simple," she began, "It shows that you **do**have a weakness, otherwise you wouldn't have let your guard down." She cleverly answered.

"Let my guard down?" he repeated. Angela began to laugh before she raised her left hand up in the air for Obiwan to see; within it, she held a metal tube like object, his lightsaber. Obiwan looked at it in shock before he glanced down at his left hip where he normally kept it,

"You little minx!" he muttered in disbelief before he looked back up at Angela who twirled his weapon triumphantly in her hand.

"Even a Jedi man can't resist the charms of a woman." She stated mockingly, her smirk still showing on her face.

"Alright Angela, you got me," Obiwan confessed, "Now give me back my saber." He asked while he took a step closer to Angela. Angela bit her lip in deep thought at his request,

"Ummm……" she thought out loud, "…..no, I don't think I will." She answered while she began backing up, "I think I'll keep this as a reminder of this moment when Obiwan Kenobi got seduced by the Black Rider." she mocked softly before she slowly turned on her heel and started heading straight for the door. At her answer, a devilish smirk appeared on Obiwan's face,

"Oh no, you don't!" he mumbled behind her and before she even had time to react, she felt Obiwan's arms wrap themselves tightly around her waist from behind. He was quick enough to try and pin her arm down at her side, but in a flash, Angela jerked her body sideways and swiftly swiped his feet right out from under him; he instantly fell to the floor, but made a comeback with a move of his own. While Angela turned from his fallen form to step away, his hand snatched out and took hold of her one of her ankles. With a firm, strong pull, he pulled her leg right out, causing Angela to lose her balance and fall to the floor next to him. She landed on her side and quickly sat up, getting ready to jump to her feet when Obiwan swiftly came at her; he took her by her arms and pulled them behind her back causing her to release her grip on his saber. It fell with a clang to the floor and Angela, refusing to be defeated, jerked, twisted and pushed her back into his chest. Obiwan, who sat behind her on his knees, was thrown back by her resistance and both he and Angela toppled to the floor. Angela, as she felt herself falling, quickly twisted her body once more and ended up falling facedown on top of Obiwan. They laid tangled together for a few seconds trying to catch their breath before they both stared at each other in the face. Angela quickly glanced around at the humorous scene; her skirts were sprawled and bunched all over the floor, most covered Obiwan's long legs, which Angela will realize later on that she had fallen in between them. But for now, she and Obiwan stared at each other intensely after their little wrestling match and neither one could resist the burst out laughing. They laughed so hard their sides began to hurt, but they didn't care. When they finally calmed down, Angela got a chance to really look and notice the compromising position she was in. With one of Obiwan's legs braced upwards on the floor with Angela lying in between his other one which laid down flat, her hips rested on his and Angela's entire torso was tightly pressed against his; she could feel both his and her heart beat together. Heat immediately rushed to her cheeks and she quickly picked herself off of him and rose to her feet. Obiwan sat up the moment she had risen to her feet and also rose from the floor. Angela quickly adjusted and smoothed out her skirts and gown, while Obiwan quickly fetched his saber that rested on the floor a few feet from where they were. Once the two were done correcting their appearances, they once again looked at each other and smiled,

"Wow….." Obiwan began, "I haven't laughed like since I was just a kid." He lightly confessed, Angela nodded her head in agreement,

"I know, it's been ages since I've laughed that hard." There was then a quick pause before Angela turned towards the door,

"Come Obiwan, the tour's not over yet." She reminded with a small smile; Obiwan returned it with one of his own then nodded his head,

"You're quite right Angela; it's not." He agreed before he and Angela slowly walked to the door and left the small dueling room and traveled out of the training arena.


	34. Chapter 34: Buttercups don't lie

CHAPTER 34: Buttercups never lie 

For three hours, Obiwan and Angela walked side by side traveling all over the Temple; he showed her the Jedi Archives, dining hall, and his most favorite room, the room of a thousand fountains. Angela was astounded at how complex the Temple really was, and how beautiful too. After leaving the room of a thousand fountains, they continued on their way before Angela suddenly stopped at another open door. She glanced inside curiously and was surprised to see rows of plants and flowers.

"What, you guys have a garden in here too?" she asked out loud before entering the warm, green room. Bright colors of red, yellow, pink, orange and much more were scattered and mixed all over and the room itself smelled sweetly and fresh.

"Yeah, it's fairly small, but it certainly offers a nice escape when you're looking for peace and quiet." Obiwan informed while he passed by Angela and strolled down a row of flowers; she watched him for a few seconds before her eyes were drawn to a pink glow out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head in the direction of the color and a smile immediately bloomed across her face. With quick strides, she walked over to the pink source and gazed loving down at a rose bush; it's petals were Angela's favorite shade of pink which was a shade a little softer than hot pink. Angela reached a gentle hand out and caressed the bloom of a pink rose,

"Roses were my favorite flower on my planet." She spoke out quietly; Obiwan heard her voice and slowly came over to where she stood, "I didn't think I'd ever see these again. I had no idea they even grew here." She murmured before she looked over at Obiwan, who gave her a small smile.

"Looks like our worlds really aren't all that different." He softly stated; Angela lowered her hand from the flower,

"No…..I guess they're not." She agreed with a smile

"Here," Obiwan began before he reached a hand over a plucked a perfect pink rose off the bush and held it out for Angela. She gazed down on the rose like it was a stunning diamond before accepting it with gentle hands, then she raised her eyes back up to Obiwan's, "……it's almost a beautiful as you." He finished. Angela shyly smiled and looked down before she slowly turned away. Then a flash of yellow caught her attention and she curiously walked over to another row of flowers to look at some tiny bright yellow ones. With a free hand she plucked one up by its stem and turned back to face Obiwan whose eyes had never left her once.

"These also grew on my planet," she started while she took a few steps closer to him, "We called them buttercups because of their bright yellow color." She explained with a small smile, "Myth has it that if you hold ones of these flowers up to your chin and its yellow glow reflects on your skin, it meant that you were in love." She playfully informed before she took a few more steps toward him and raised the yellow flower up to his chin; she laughed softly as the yellow glow showed brightly on his skin, a mischievous look came to her eyes,

"Well, well, well Obiwan," she began humorously, "The flower says that you're in love." She pointed out with a small smirk, "Who's the lucky girl?" she lightly teased. Angela expected Obiwan to smile, laugh and shake his head, what she didn't expect was what came out of his mouth. He took a step closer and stared Angela deep in her eyes,

"As crazy as this may sound, "he answered seriously, "……I think I'm looking at her." Angela's heart stopped beating for a few seconds and her smirk slowly faded away to an expression of pure shock.

"I…….what?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Obiwan lifted his hand up from his side and gently took hold of Angela's raised hand and lowered them both to their sides,

"I think I might love you Angela." he murmured.

"….oh………seriously?" her voice rose slightly; Obiwan took another step closer so they now stood toe to toe and he intertwined his fingers with hers,

"Incredibly." He answered; Angela stared into his deep blue-green eyes,

"Holy crap, he's not kidding!" her mind screamed as she noted the serious yet caring look within his gaze. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out, so instead she gave a soft nervous laugh, "Wow…..I was not prepared for that answer." She murmured shyly and bit her lip,

"Have I offended you?" Obiwan asked; Angela's gaze quickly shot up to meet his,

"No!" she answered hurriedly, "No Obiwan, it's not like that, it's just I didn't expect you say something like that….so….so soon…that makes sense right?" Obiwan nodded his head in understanding,

"I know…..I was bit surprised myself….but saying those words to you Angela…..felt right." He agreed with a small loving smile, "Look, I know I seem to have caught you off guard, but know that I'm not expecting something from you…..now…at least, but I hope with a little more time I will receive an answer of some sort?" he asked. Angela gave him a small smile

"Of course Obiwan." She answered. A look of relief washed over Obiwan's features, then he gave Angela's hand a gentle pull and he started to lead her out of the garden,

"Best get back to my apartment. Don't want Qui Gon getting irritated with me." He mumbled; Angela nodded her head,

"Yeah…..I think I've seen enough of the Temple, for today." She informed. As the two passed into the hallway, Obiwan released her hand and they swiftly made their way back to the apartment.


	35. Chapter 35: Is it Love?

CHAPTER 35: Is It Love?

Angela and Obiwan walked in silence all the way back to the apartment. Upon walking inside again, Angela was immediately greeted by Anakin who came running in from the kitchen.

"Angela!" he exclaimed happily while he ran up to embrace her, "I'm so glad you're back!" Angela hugged the young boy and laughed softly at his enthusiasm.

"I didn't realize I would be missed so much." She lightly teased while Anakin released her and followed along side her as she moved further into the apartment. Obiwan walked by Angela and headed straight for his room without a word or glance. She watched him disappear while hundreds of thoughts ran through her head.

"What am I gonna do about him?" she asked herself; Angela was brought back to her senses by Qui Gon's voice coming from the kitchen.

"Ani, lunch is ready!" he called

"Ok!" Anakin called back before he turned to Angela, "You coming Angela?" he asked curiously

"Uh, you go ahead Ani, I'm gonna go find my saber and when I have it, I'll join you at the table." She replied; Anakin shrugged his shoulders as her response

"Ok." He answered before he ran back into the kitchen. Once he was gone, Angela began to walk around the apartment in search of her weapon. After five minutes of searching, she found it lying neatly on a small coffee table in front of the hologram. She quickly picked it up in her left hand and just like she promised, she went to join Anakin and Qui Gon in the kitchen. She found them both sitting at a table eating their lunches; Angela silently moved on in and took a seat beside Anakin. Qui Gon glanced up from his food and gave a small friendly smile,

"Did you enjoy the tour?" he asked before he looked back down at his food.

"Yeah…it was nice, I learned a lot today." She answered, "….a lot indeed…" she softly added thinking about what Obiwan had told her.

"That's good to hear. So what happened to my apprentice?" he asked curiously,

"Oh…uh he went to his room for some reason." She answered

"I see…." Qui Gon murmured, not sounding surprised at his apprentice's disappearance, "He has been doing that a lot lately." He mumbled; Angela sat up straighter, suddenly becoming very interested,

"He has?" she asked curiously

"Yes…don't know why though. He wasn't like this before the mission. He began acting abnormally once we got to Tatooine." Qui Gon informed; Angela's eyes lit up in remembrance of the events that had happened on Tatooine between him and her.

"……strange….." she murmured innocently.

"Very…..oh and by the way, can I get you anything Angela?" He asked

"Hmm? Oh no thank you Qui Gon. Thanks for the offer though." She politely replied

"No problem Angela." He answered. As Angela sat in silence a t the table, a strong restless feeling started to grow within in, and she knew that she had to walk around.

"Uh Qui Gon?" she suddenly spoke up, "I know this is random, but would you mind if I had a look around?" she asked,

"No go right on ahead." He answered; with a small smile and nod of thanks with her head, Angela rose from the table and swiftly left the kitchen. As she stepped into the living room of the apartment, Angela spotted some picture frames above a fireplace mantel. Drawn to them by curiosity she made her way over and stopped in front of it and looked up at the pictures. The first picture she looked at was one with a young, skinny boy who looked to be a few years older than Anakin with familiar blue-green eyes who stood next to a towering and younger looking Qui Gon. A small smile came to her face and a tiny laugh escaped her lips as she studied the younger version of Obiwan. As her eyes traveled down the neat row of pictures on display, she got to see Obiwan transform from young boy, to young man. A light, warm feeling arose from inside Angela; her heart quickened its pace and butterflies took over her senses. Angela wrapped her arms tightly around herself and she bit her lower lip in deep thought,

"What am I gonna tell Obiwan?" she asked herself, "……..I don't know!!!!" her mind screamed. Angela groaned softly and began to pace back in forth across the living room, She, after a few minutes, stopped her pacing and began to think long and hard about her life now, her feelings for Obiwan and all the possibilities. But she still couldn't come to a decision, "How did this happen?" she asked out loud

"How did what happen?" a curious voice spoke from behind her, Angela spun around to see that Obiwan had apparently come out of his room.

"Uhhh…..nothing, I was just talking to myself." She mumbled softly. Obiwan raised an amused eyebrow at here,

"Do you do that often?" he questioned teasingly,

"As of lately……yes." Angela honestly answered. Obiwan smiled as he then walked up to her and took her by her hand,

"Come out to the balcony with me." he whispered. Before she could open her mouth to reply, he led her over to two doors on the right side of the fireplace and opened one up; then he stepped outside and pulled Angela along behind him. Once they stood outside he closed the door behind them; Angela faced Obiwan, who stood in front of the doors,

"What's this all about?" She asked curiously; Obiwan looked down at her and smiled,

"I decided that there was one more thing I wanted to show you before the 'tour' was officially over." He answered; Angela raised an eyebrow up at the tall Jedi before her.

"Which is?" she asked.

"Close your eyes."

"What!?"

"Trust me Angela, just close your eyes." He pleaded softly. Angela gave him a soft glare of suspicion before she let out a sigh of defeat,

"Alright fine, I'll go along with this." She mumbled before she closed her eyes. Obiwan, who still held her by the hand, moved around her and turned her away from the doors,

"Follow me Angela." He said while he began taking a few steps backward leading Angela close to the balcony's railing. With a little resistance in her step, she moved slowly to where Obiwan was directing her to, and she stopped when she felt a solid barrier hit her knees,

"Obiwan, what is this?" she asked, her brows furrowed in deep thought.

"It's just a railing, nothing to worry about. Now, Angela I need you to do something else for me,"

"What Obiwan?"

"I need you to step up onto the lower part of the railing."

"Say what?" she asked in disbelief,

"If you need to, hold onto the railing with your han….oh you've got your saber….let me see that for a second." He asked as he lightly removed it from Angela's left hand; she heard him set it up against the railing beside her. Then she felt him take up both her hands in his and lift them up so they now rested on top of the railing; it was cold beneath her hands but smooth like marble.

"Now step up." He softly ordered and Angela hesitantly raised one of her feet off the ground and searched for the place Obiwan was asking her to put it; the place was half a foot off the ground and once her foot was secure on it, her other foot followed and she stepped up. The top part of the railing, where her hands now gripped tightly for support and balance, now reached her hips, "I swear Obiwan Kenobi, if you push me off this darn thing, I'm taking you with me…" she muttered under her breath before she quickly added "…..anything else?" she asked as she steadied herself on what felt like a thick bar under her feet, "…..please say no." she begged. Obiwan, who stood behind her, chuckled at her threat and plea,

"That's all." He murmured to her relief and she let out a sigh,

"So……why did you want me to do this again?" she questioned, her eyes still closed tightly; Obiwan leaned down close to her left ear,

"See for yourself." He whispered. His words and nearness sent small shivers down her back, and after taking a deep breath in, she slowly opened her eyes. She let out a small gasp of surprise and her eyes widened in awe,

"Oh Obiwan," she breathed out, "It's beautiful." She whispered. Angela stood high looking out at one of the most breathtaking sites she has ever seen. She had the perfect view of the City that stretched on for miles; her eyes traced over everything from the towering buildings in the far distance, to the bustling streets beyond the Temple. Angela glanced up at the sky and found that it had cleared, and was a deep blue with the sun shining brightly above; then she leaned over a bit to glance below her and found that she was actually a lot higher up than she had imagined by a couple hundred feet.

"Wow……" she murmured as she looked back up, a smile had appeared on her face, "We're so high up….and standing like this makes me feel like we're flying." She giggled softly then glanced over her shoulder at Obiwan, who still stood behind her closely. Obiwan's eyes were gazing loving upon Angela's face as he softly smiled at her comment,

"No…," he murmured before he reached for Angela's hands again and lightly pulled them off the railing, then he stretched both their arms out like wings, "…..now we're flying." He gently corrected. A full smile spread itself slowly across Angela's face, and a soft twinkle lit up her eyes as she stared at Obiwan over her shoulder. A light also shone brightly within Obiwan's own eyes as he smiled back, and Angela found herself completely drawn into his two beautiful blue-green orbs. Almost like she had lost control of her body, her arms slowly pulled themselves to cross her front, bringing Obiwan's strong arms around her waist. She lightly placed her hands under his forearms as she felt them wrap securely around her body and she angled it slightly so she could get a better view of Obiwan behind her. Her eyes then softly began to trace his handsome face before they flickered down to his lips then back up to his tender gaze. Obiwan gave her a tiny smile before he stepped closer to her so that his chest was against her back, and she willingly leaned back into it; their gazes not once ever left each other's faces. Then slowly, Obiwan started to lean his head down, and Angela, without hesitation, tilted her head back. Her eyes closed again when she felt Obiwan's soft, warm lips against her own. A sudden spark of electricity shot through Angela's entire body during their kiss, and she was certain that Obiwan had felt it too. When they finally pulled away, they were breathless, Angela in particular. She gazed up deeply into Obiwan's eyes and saw a love within them, a deep passionate love that took her breath away and ignited a flame deep inside her heart. When Obiwan leaned his head down again so that his forehead rested against hers, she couldn't help but whisper to him,

"I think I've fallen completely in love with you, Obiwan Kenobi." And as those words left her lips, she was absolutely positive about them. As her words sunk in, a small loving smile came to Obiwan's face as he gazed down at her,

"And I with you, Angela Johnson." He whispered back before he pulled away and planted a soft adoring kiss on her forehead.


	36. Chapter 36: The Cries of the Innocents

CHAPTER 36: The Cry of the Innocents

Though Angela wanted to stay within Obiwan's arms, she pulled out of his hold and quickly fetched her saber beside her, before she took him by his hand, and led him back over to the doors,

"I best be getting back to the Queen," she softly spoke; her voice was laced with disappointment. Obiwan nodded his head in understanding before he followed behind Angela back into his apartment.

"I'll escort you back." he said while he and Angela slowly walked hand in hand over to the front door. They left silently without acknowledging Qui Gon or Anakin who still resided in the kitchen. After leaving the Temple, Obiwan called for a taxi, and once inside, Angela scooted close to Obiwan and leaned her head down on his broad shoulder.

"I can't believe it," she whispered dreamily, Obiwan glanced down at her before he draped an arm firmly around her shoulder,

"Can't believe what?" he asked curiously, Angela tilted her head up to see his face before she gave him a sweet smile and answered,

"Us. It just seems too good to be true……not to mention sudden." She added humorously, Obiwan chuckled softly, and as he did, Angela softly bit down on her lip,

"Do you think this will work? ......Us, I mean…" she whispered as she settled against his shoulder comfortably.

"What do you think?" he asked. Angela thought about her answer for a few seconds before answering,

"Like I told you before, we are from two different worlds. With you being a Jedi, and me being the Black Rider and Ambassador, it's not going to be easy, we'd have to make it work, but I believe that we can do it." Obiwan leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead,

"I think we can too." With a soft sigh, Angela and Obiwan relaxed against each other silently for the rest of the ride back to the Queen. When they were finally dropped off in front of the building, Obiwan paid the driver to wait for him so he could walk Angela inside. As they walked through the building to reach an elevator, they began telling each other their plans for the future.

"What do you see happening in your future, Obiwan?" she asked curiously.

"Eventually, me becoming a Master and hopefully getting a spot on the Jedi Council. And you?" he returned the question.

"Ummm…." She thought out loud, "I'm going to carry on being the Black Rider, and for some time, I'll stay involved with the Senate. But at some point, when I'm older, I'm going to take a breather from all that." She answered

"And do what?" he asked curiously. Angela shyly glanced down and smiled,

"Well I'd like to settle down and start a family when the time is right." She slowly glanced up at Obiwan who was staring intensely down at her. To her surprise, a pained expression had immerged on his handsome face.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked concernedly, that expression quickly vanished as he turned his head to face straight forward.

"Yes…..I'm fine." He answered tensely;

"I….you sure?"

"Of course." He quickly answered. Angela could tell that something bothered him, and she guessed it was about what she had said. Feeling shamed at what she told him, she softly bowed her head .They walked in silence back up to the Queen's apartment, and as they came in sight of the two doors leading inside, she glanced back over to Obiwan who still had a blank expression on his face.

"Thank you for escorting me back Obiwan. I'll see you around I guess…" she softly spoke, then she quickened her pace and headed for the doors but was stopped shortly by Obiwan's hand catching her by her wrist. She hesitantly turned around to face the tall, handsome Jedi behind her. His expression had softened immensely and now showed a caring, tender look. He then pulled her close to him and gathered her in his arms,

"Angela, I know you probably thought I was upset with you huh?" he asked affectionately,

"Was I not suppose to?" she calmly asked back; Obiwan let out a sigh and shook his head,

"I did not mean for you to feel that way. It's just…..I'm not in that sort of……position to be thinking about..…**that**" he answered, Angela looked him in his eyes and nodded,

"That's fine. I wasn't suggestion anything by it; those are just plans for my future. As of now, I'm not in that position myself, nor am I ready for it. So it's all good." She gave him a small smile or reassurance and he gave a small smile in return but his held something else within it that resembled something like sadness. Angela though quickly forgot about it though when Obiwan moved down to kiss her passionately on her lips. When he pulled away, he slowly released Angela and stepped back,

"I'll call on you later." He promised. Angela gave him a small, mischievous smile,

"You better." She muttered playfully. He grinned back before he quickly turned on his heel and left Angela at the apartment door. She watched him until he was out of sight before she finally turned away and entered the apartment. Ironically, both Angela and Obiwan had been so caught up with each other that neither of them noticed a figured in the shadows watching them silently…..

(Switching to Angela's P.O.V)

After Obiwan's departure, Angela headed straight for the Queen's bedchamber. Upon entering the luxurious room, she found the young Queen, looking like simple Padme, no makeup or headdress, ferociously pacing back and forth across the floor in anger. Seeing her distressed friend, Angela quickly moved into the room and placed her saber down on the bed before she walked straight up to Padme.

"Is everything alright?" Angela asked, the concern for her friend was most readable on her face. Padme turned her deep brown eyes on her and stopped moving about. Padme took in a deep breath to calm her present anger,

"I've just returned from another meeting with the Senate about our situation." She muttered, Angela's eyes widened softly and she reached a hand out to Padme and took her by the hand.

"Come, talk to me." Angela encouraged while she led her friend over to have a seat on the bed with her. Once they were settled, Angela spoke up again, "From the sour mood that you are in, I take it things did not go well." She guessed. Padme let out a troubled sigh,

"Far from it!" Padme practically cried, "The Senate is not going to step in and take action unless a commission is sent to Naboo." Angela's mouth dropped open slightly

"Why would they still push for that when I had testified for you?" Angela asked

"God only knows. That Senator…..Cumquat from the Trade Federation has gotten the entire Senate to agree with him about the commission,"

"And what does the Supreme Chancellor have to say about that?" Angela questioned,

"There is no Supreme Chancellor….Valorum resigned his position. As of right now, our only chance of gaining the Senate would be if Senator Palpatine won the election."

"Se…Senator Palpatine? He's running for the position?"

"Yes. He was nominated." Padme murmured without feeling

"You don't sound very confident about him Padme." Angela noted. Padme bowed her head and a silent tear swiftly slid down her face,

"I don't know what else to do…." She whispered. Angela wrapped a compassionate arm around her friend's shoulder, and Padme leaned in close to rest her heavy head on Angela's shoulder.

"Don't give up. The Senate will come around. We just have to be patient for a bit longer." Padme slowly nodded her head and sniffed

"Yes……we must not lose faith." Padme lifted her head from Angela's shoulder and began to wipe her eyes, "I just pray that our people are safe….." she softly murmured. Angela nodded her head and thought about all the innocents on Naboo who were probably suffering at the hands of the Viceroy.

"I pray so too, Padme." Angela murmured back.

The two young women were silent after that. After a few minuets, Padme went for a nice, hot bath to calm her nerves while Angela ended up falling asleep on the bed; Angela slept through the rest of day, she didn't even wake up for dinner. And during her deep sleep, she was granted the sight of some unpleasant dreams……….

It was like Angela was there, back on Naboo. She stood on a high hill looking down on what was once the great city she had so well guarded, now it was completely empty, abandoned. In the streets, she could see the corpses of men, woman, even children, lying forgotten on the cold ground.

"Dear God….." Angela whispered in absolute shock. Then like many of her dreams, the scene melted away, and a new one took over. Angela now stood in what looked like to be one of the many concentration camps the Viceroy had set up. As Angela looked around in horror at the poorly built setup, her eyes landed on groups of people who were gathered and walking in neat blocks being led by droids with blasters. The men looked tired, as did the women who, some, were clinging tightly to their children; they were all connected by chains. And as Angela watched them get led off, she looked in another direction only to see the same thing. Droids leading the poor people around in chains, giving orders, the people slaving away, doing labor of all sorts. When an older man in his late 60's collapsed in exhaustion, a droid was beside him, taking up his blaster and shooting the man in his head. His dead body hit the ground with a thud, then the droid simply walked off.

"I can't believe this." Angela whispered out loud, "How can the Viceroy be so cruel?" Angela began to walk solemnly through the concentration camp, her eyes wide in disbelief, when she turned the corner of a small building, the gagging smell of death reached her nose and her eyes were met with a pile of burnt corpses. Their bodies weren't cremated very well, and Angela could tell by looking at their mangled, twisted bodies, that these people were murdered in cold blood. Angela bowed her head and said a soft prayer for the dead before her head snapped up at the sound of a woman crying. Angela's eyes searched for the woman and found her walking in a small group of people,

"Oh God," she cried, "Help us!" other voices joined her plea; one voice in particular nearly broke Angela's heart. It was the voice of a small child who was looking up at the sky, a girl with bright green eyes and blonde hair,

"Black Rider," she softly spoke, "We need you, Black Rider. Where are you?" she asked. Seeing the tiny girl and the people in such a distressed and terrified state, tears welled up in Angela's eyes and began falling down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," Angela whispered; her tears that were first warm and represented her sympathy for the people of Naboo soon grew cold with hate. And a fiery rage then grew deep inside her heart.

"I'll kill him….." she hissed, "I swear I when I find the Viceroy, I'll kill him!"

Angela awoke from her horrific dream to the sound of Padme's voice and touch on her shoulder,

"Angela, wake up." She ordered softly. Angela opened her eyes only to find them and her cheeks wet; she had been crying in her sleep. Angela slowly sat up, it was dark in the bedchamber, Night had obviously fallen; so she reached over to the closest nightstand to turn on a lamp. Once the room was a glow with the soft light from the lamp, Angela looked over at her friend her sat next to her on the bed.

"Angela, are you alright? You were having a nightmare." Padme stated sympathetically, Angela softly nodded her head,

"Indeed I was…" she solemnly answered before looking away, "I dreamt about Naboo, Padme, and our people." Angela began, "It was absolutely horrifying what I saw, our people our dying in numbers, Padme; men, woman…..children, all of them being slaughtered like animals." Angela paused to take in a shaky breath then turned to look back over at her friend, "Padme, we must do something" Angela murmured.

"I know Angela, but there's really nothing we can do…..not without the Senate." At her words, Angela's eyes and voice became filled with rage,

"The Senate?" she repeated the name like it was her worst enemy. "Forget the Senate Padme, it's time we took things into our own hands."

"Whatever happened to waiting patiently?" Padme questioned.

"That was before I knew the true hell happening to our people, Padme. They need me, they need us!"

"I know they do. But we can't help them without the Senate…" Angela quickly jumped in,

"Oh what good is the Senate? All they seem to do is argue." Angela reached both hands over and lightly grasped Padme by her shoulders, "Padme, we went before them, we told them that we needed help, if they really gave a care in the world about our planet, we wouldn't have had to come to plea to them in the first place! And even when we did, nothing has happened. I could be doing more for our people single handily then what this so called Senate is doing." Padme pulled away from Angela,

"It's not that simple, Angela," Padme stated firmly, Angela shook her head and rose from the bed,

"No, Padme, it really is. And I'm no longer gonna wait on this Senate to come around." Angela answered before she spun on her heels and walked over to where Padme's wardrobe was. On her way over, Angela pulled the zipper down her back and shrugged off her green and gold gown before stepping out of it. She left it lying on the ground while she began stripping off her petticoats and unlacing her corset. Once she let those fall to the floor behind her, she pulled open the wardrobe and quickly rummaged around for her black gown, shorts, cloak, and boots. She found them on the far right side and immediately pulled them out and dressed in them. Once her shorts and gown were once again fitted on her body, she slipped her feet into her knee high boots,

"And what do you think you are doing?" Padme asked from the bed, Angela glanced behind her shoulder at her friend,

"What does it look like? I'm leaving Padme." She answered while she slung her soft cloak around her shoulders and tied it about her neck, when she turned back to her friend on the bed, Padme had risen to her feet.

"Where are you going?" she demanded

"I'm going back to Naboo to put an end to this for once and for all." She answered while she walked over to bed to retrieve her saber. She found it lying on the ground next to her side of the bed; once she picked it up, she instantly hooked it on her hip.

"You can't be serious, Angela." Padme mumbled in disbelief,

"I've never been more serious in my entire life." Angela answered while looking over at Padme

"Angela, you can't go. Not by yourself."

"Padme, I've been doing stuff by myself for a while now, this won't be any different."

"The Trade Federation has an army down there!" Padme cried.

"I'm very aware of that, Padme; after all it was I who knew about it before anyone else." She casually reminded

"Angela, there's no way you can take on the Trade Federation alone." Angela's eyes narrowed at the challenge.

"Watch me." Angela muttered. Then she turned on her heel once more and headed for the door, Padme quickly followed behind her

"Angela, you must stop this madness!" her friend cried from behind her,

"Oh I plan to, Padme," Angela responded while reaching for the door, but Padme quickly latched onto her other hand from behind,

"Angela, stop!" Padme softly yelled, Angela froze at her friend's command, and she glanced behind her shoulder at her friend, "You're an Ambassador to Naboo, Angela, remember? If you try to go against the Viceroy with violence against his army, you will drag us into war!!" Padme's voice was dripping with frustration; her eyes had narrowed as well. Angela turned back around to boldly confront her queen, and friend.

"You words have no effect on me, Padme. For let's face it, we went to war the day the Viceroy landed his troops on our planet. And the sooner you accept that, then the sooner our planet can be saved. Now, you've got the choice Padme, to join me and take a stand, fight back, or you can remain here waiting on a bunch on politicians to decide the fate of our planet, our people!" At her words Padme looked to be taken back, and she swallowed. Angela's voice softened as did her eyes, "Padme, Naboo is your home, and it's my home now too. All this pain and devastation…..it tortures me inside; all the innocents who suffer from the Senates stubbornness and pride, I just can't sit still knowing that. Our people have depended on me to keep them safe, I must go help them." Padme's eyes now filled with tears,

"If you go, Angela, you can be killed." Padme whispered. Angela stared into her friends deep brown eyes that glistened with her tears, then Angela let out a sigh,

"There has always been a risk of me getting killed Padme, and I've learned to accept that ever since I became the Black Rider…" she paused for a few seconds "And for the record, I don't plan on dying any time soon." Angela turned away from her friend and opened the bedchamber's door. As she stepped out, she pulled her hood up and over her head then glanced over her shoulder at Padme one last time, "We will meet again, Padme." She murmured before she looked forward and disappeared from the room leaving behind a very stunned and fearful Padme.


	37. Chapter 37: The Blue Crystal

CHAPTER 37: A Blue Crystal to make it Official 

The streets of Corescant were empty and silent as Angela made her way through them. She was heading over to a station where they kept all sorts of transports so she could leave Corescant as quickly as she could to get back to Naboo. But as she passed by a particularly massive building, Angela froze in step. Standing in the shadows of the Jedi Temple, Angela's mind strayed from her task to Obiwan.

"Obiwan" Angela thought, "……If things go badly….I may never see him again." She whispered softly. With that thought alone, Angela swiftly turned to the Temple and headed for its entrance. Its doors were closed, most likely locked, but with a simple wave of Angela's hand as she approached them, the slid open to her and she freely walked inside. Inside, all was quiet; no one seemed to be up, probably being the fact that it was past midnight. Angela swiftly made her way around and she managed to track down Qui Gon's and Obiwan's apartment. As she stood outside their door, Angela reached a hand out and gently laid in on the door itself. She closed her eyes and focused her thoughts on Obiwan; by using the force, she hoped to call to him.

"_**Obiwan,"**_ she thought, _**"Can you hear me?" **___Angela waited silently for a few minuets to see if he would respond. To her relief, his low, smooth voice answered,

"_**Angela? Is that you?" **_ he asked sleepily, Angela smiled through her closed eyes,

"_**Yes Obiwan. It's me, Angela." **_

"_**How are you talking through the force?"**_

"_**Uh…let's just say I'm a girl of many talents."**_

"_**Are you here in the Temple?"**_

"_**Yes, right outside your door actually." **_

Obiwan didn't respond. He didn't have to. Angela could sense his presence coming closer, so she opened her eyes. Within two minuets, the front door slid open and Obiwan stood within the doorway.

"Hello." Angela softly greeted, Obiwan gave her a small smile.

"Hello," he replied, then he stood aside, "Please come in." Angela didn't have to be asked twice, she swiftly walked inside before turning to face Obiwan who, after closing the door, went to stand before Angela.

"Everyone else asleep?" she whispered.

"Yes," Angela bit her lip in guilt under her hood

"…….were you?"

Obiwan softly chuckled, "Sort of…..you didn't disturb me if that's what that face of yours is for." He whispered back teasingly; Angela smirked.

"Sorry about the late visit, I just…..felt the need to see you." Obiwan gave her a heart melting smile before he reached over and took her by the hand,

"Come on, we can talk more freely in my room." Angela nodded her head followed behind Obiwan as he led her down the right hallway of the apartment to his bedroom. Once they were inside, he closed the door and turned on a soft light. Now that light was on, Angela was able to look around; it was a simple bedroom with a double bed in the center, a desk in one corner of the room, a bookshelf in another and of course, a small dresser. Angela made her way over to the bed and took a seat at the foot of it; then she reached a hand up and pushed her hood off her head before she untied her cloak from her neck and shrugged it off her shoulders. Obiwan soon took a seat beside her; his eyes were studying her features with great passion,

"Everything alright?" he asked, Angela angled her tense body towards him then sighed,

"Not really no," she answered, "The Senate is refusing to step in unless a commission is sent to Naboo, the Queen believes that she can't do anything unless she has the help of the Senate, oh and not to mention that while all this is crap happening, the people back on my planet are suffering and dying." Angela hunched her back over and propped her elbows up on top of her legs so she could hold her head in her hands, "I can't take much more of this." She mumbled through her hands. Angela felt Obiwan's arm drape over her back, she slowly relaxed to his touch as he began rubbing it in a very soothing manner.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked caringly, Angela dropped her hands from her face and turned her head up to Obiwan,

"I'm afraid not…….unless you have a way of convincing a bunch of stubborn and self-centered politicians to get off their butts and do something about our situation." She grumbled, Obiwan gave her a small smile,

"Hmmm…." he paused for a few seconds to quickly look over Angela, "You look tired." He pointed out while he reached a hand over to tuck a strand of Angela's hair behind her ear,

"I don't feel tired…." She lied even though she could feel her fatigue,

"I can see it in your eyes, Angela, and your body shows it as well." Obiwan softly stated; Angela glanced down at her lap,

"Well……stop looking at me." She grumbled; Obiwan shook his head and started laughing,

"Why? You're really cute when you're grouchy." He teased. Angela quickly looked up at his smirking face

"I am not grouchy," Obiwan cocked an eyebrow at her answer, "I'm not!" she repeated defensively.

"Uh huh."

"Obiwan, you really don't wanna mess with me right now." She softly threatened. Obiwan smirked mischievously,

"But it's such fun."

"Obiwan," she warningly spoke his name, Obiwan dropped his hand from her back down to her lower back before he encircled his other arm around her front as well, bringing her close to him. She put up a little resistance which only caused Obiwan to hold her closer, almost so their chests were touching

"I can see that you are very troubled and distressed, Angela," he stated, Angela huffed as her answer and Obiwan continued, "I know something that can make you feel better though." Angela then raised an eyebrow at him,

"Oh really Obiwan? How?" she asked

"Kiss me." He whispered. Angela swallowed softly then slowly shook her head,

"No, Obiwan, I'm not in the mood." She mumbled; Obiwan shrugged his broad shoulders,

"Well then, if you won't kiss me, I'll just have to kiss you." He answered; Angela looked up at him with a challenging glare and as she began to open her mouth to answer, Obiwan quickly crushed her against his body and he leaned down and captured her lips in a gentle but passionate kiss. At first, Angela raised her hands and pushed against his chest in resistance and protest but then something inside her just gave way, and all her tenseness just melted away. She closed her eyes and relaxed in his arms while her hands then found their way up his chest to wrap around his neck. Obiwan was the first one to pull away, and when he did, Angela reopened her eyes to find him smiling at her,

"Feel better?" he asked, a smile pulled at Angela's lips,

"Much better." She answered with a sigh.

"Good!" he exclaimed softly before he quickly leaned down to give her a soft peck on her lips, "Now, I think it's best if we go to bed and get some rest while we still can." He suggested. Angela thought about the idea for a few seconds before she simply shrugged her shoulders,  
"Fine by me." She answered while she pulled away from him and rose from the bed, Obiwan sat still watching her,

"Going somewhere?" he asked amusedly, Angela's brows furrowed softly in confusion at his question,

"Uh yeah, to the couch in the living room…" she answered; Obiwan then too rose from the bed,

"You're not going to sleep on the couch Angela,"

"Well I'm not going to allow you to give up your bed for me."

"You're a guest, it'd be my honor."

"That's very considerate of you but I'm fine with the couch.…..eek!" she softly yelped in surprise as Obiwan scooped her up in his arms like she was a small child and carried her over to the right side of his bed before he gently dropped her on it,

"Stay here." He said, Angela watched as Obiwan gave her a small wink and smile before he turned on his heel and left the bedroom, "Goodnight Angela," he quietly called back over his shoulder before disappearing from view.

"Wai…..and he's gone…" Angela spoke out loud to herself, "Stubborn Jedi…." She muttered in her mind before she laid back against the pillows behind her.

"_**I heard that!" **_Obiwan spoke to her through the force, Angela closed her eyes and smirked,

"_**Good!!" **_she exclaimed back. Then without another word to him, Angela let herself once again drift off to a dreamless sleep.

When Angela awoke the next day, she felt energized and ready to face the day. She rolled out of bed like she normally does and quickly smoothed out her black gown. Once she felt decent about her morning appearance, she grabbed her cloak that still rested at the foot of the bed and then left the bedroom. As she passed through the small hallway into the living room, her eyes landed on Obiwan who still slept peacefully on the couch. With a small smile, Angela silently crept over to his sleeping form and took a seat on the very edge of the couch beside him; her presence didn't even alert him. She watched his chest rise and fall with each breath he took and with a gentle hand she reached out to him and lightly caressed the left side of his face; his skin was smooth and warm beneath her touch. At the contact, the sleeping Obiwan stirred and Angela softly pulled her hand back. As his eyes slowly opened and stared up at Angela, and she smiled while leaning down on him a bit,

"Morning, sleepyhead." She greeted softly, Obiwan grinned.

"Morning, indeed." He mumbled back while he pushed himself up on his arms and sat up. "Sleep well?" he asked; Angela nodded,

"Yes….and you?" she returned.

"Better knowing you were here." He answered; Angela shyly smiled and glanced down,

"Yes well….try not to get use to it." She teased. Obiwan chuckled,

"I'll try." He playfully replied. After a few seconds of silence he then added, "I had a dream about you last night," Angela raised an eyebrow at him,

"Did you now?" she asked curiously, Obiwan nodded and his face then grew serious,

"Kind of has me thinking…"

"About what?" Angela asked. Obiwan then sat up straight and reached over to hold both of Angela's hands.

"I'll show you…" he whispered as he leaned in close to Angela. She almost thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he lightly pressed his forehead against her own; Obiwan closed his eyes and Angela copied his movement, then in the back of her mind, his dream played out for her like it was her own……

Angela stood frozen on spot as she found herself looking at young couple standing on under an archway made of flowers. As Angela got a better look at the two people, the young woman in particular, her mouth slightly dropped open,

"That's me…." She softly noted as she took in the almost mirror image of herself. When her turquoise colored eyes flickered over to the man, it didn't surprise her to find that the man was Obiwan; and he of course was dressed in his usual attire unlike Angela. No in this dream, Angela was dressed in a flowing white gown trimmed with lace, and on her head was a simple silver ringed headdress with a veil of white lace on the back of her head. She and Obiwan, in his dream, were holding hands and facing one another under the archway. Angela took a small step away from the scene before her and her heart began racing wildly.

"Obiwan's dreaming about marriage…." She whispered out loud.

Angela opened her eyes at that moment and she pulled back from Obiwan, who also had opened his eyes.

"Oh Obiwan…." She whispered softly after a few more seconds, she gave a nervous laugh, "I thought you said that you weren't in a position to be discussing marriage," Obiwan gave her a small smile,

"I know…..and technically I'm not. But that could very easily change if……." He stopped his sentence

"If??" Angela pushed.

"If well…..you…..ever consider such a thought…" he murmured.

"Consider marriage…..with…you?" she asked softly; Obiwan's face reddened slightly and he nodded.

"I'm mean….not at this instant but…..you know…sometime in the future."

Angela's heart fluttered inside her chest at his words, "Oh…..," she murmured softly, "Wow, marriage?" she asked in disbelief, "Really?"

"If you'll have me," he answered; Angela couldn't help but smile,

"Was that a proposal?"

Obiwan grinned "Yeah…..not very good though, was it?" Angela laughed softly,

"I actually found it adorable." She answered, "I just hope you know exactly what you're doing. Marriage, to me, is an unbreakable bond, meaning once it's done, you're gonna be stuck with me for the rest of your life. Is that really what you want??" She asked earnestly

"Hmmm…..let me think, being with you every day and night for the rest of my life???? Mmmm……" he playfully thought out loud, then he "Absolutely." He answered seriously, Angela smiled

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into." She teased softly, Obiwan chuckled,

"I'll take my chances." He murmured back before he leaned over and softly kissed Angela on her lips. "I have something for you." He whispered as he pulled back slightly, Angela arched an eyebrow,

"Oh?" Obiwan nodded, Angela playfully bit her lip in suspicion before she rose from the couch as did Obiwan. Once he was on his feet he swiftly moved past her and headed to his bedroom, Angela stayed where she was at and within three minuets, Obiwan returned and he carried something within his hand. He stopped right in front of Angela then glanced down at what he held in his hand,

"I made this the night I got back from our little meeting on the roof," with that said, he opened his hand, and in it was the most beautiful thing Angela has ever seen. It was a silver chained necklace, and on it was blue crystal cut in the shape of rounded square, encircled by a silver metal. Angela raised a hand up to her throat in shock,

"Obiwan…." She breathed out; Obiwan smiled at her reaction and then moved to stand behind her; Angela lowered her hand from her neck to her side. He brought his hands around her neck and let the necklace dangle for a few seconds before he did the clasp. Once the necklace was securely around her neck, Angela looked down and raised a hand to touch the blue crystal which now nestled between her breasts.

"I don't know what to say…." She murmured softly before she turned around to face Obiwan. Obiwan's gaze was so soft and gentle she felt her knees weaken slightly.

"Say you'll be mine."

Angela smiled and lightly bit down on her lip, thinking about Obiwan's words. Obiwan smirked softly before he took up one of her hands in his and slowly got down of one of his knees before her, "Angela," he began, "I know that we haven't known each other for very long, but I feel like I've known you for my whole life…..honestly. And now that I've met you, I know that I can't live without you. You've become apart of me…..so with that said……Angela Johnson, may I have your hand in marriage??"

Angela was silent for a few moments, but at last she found her voice, "Hand, arm, leg, I'm yours Obiwan Kenobi." She answered softly while pulling Obiwan to his feet. He gathered her into his arms and kissed her fully on the mouth. When they pulled away, both had a smile on their face and a fiery love in their hearts.

"Then let that necklace be a symbol of our engagement." He murmured,

"Wouldn't have it any other way." She murmured back, "Oh speaking of necklace, the blue crystal…..looks extremely familiar…..where'd you find it?" she asked curiously as she gazed down at the crystal she wore,

"The color, the texture….." she thought to herself. Then it hit her, "Obiwan….by chance, is this crystal from a lightsaber?" she guessed. Obiwan grinned,

"Indeed it is. I thought that since you love carrying around possessions that are made from parts of a lightsaber, I'd make you one myself." Angela looked up from the crystal to meet Obiwan's eyes,

"Awww……that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me…." She thoughtfully answered before she quickly added, "….and for the record, I only carry one possession like that, and that's my saber."

Obiwan threw his head back and laughed. Angela loved the low rumbling sound that came from his mouth, and she couldn't help but laugh softly along with him. When their laughing died down, Obiwan pulled Angela closer to his body,

"And now you have two possessions." He pointed out

"Yes, one I carry at my hip, the other I'll wear close to my heart, at all times." Obiwan smiled lovingly down at Angela and started leaning downwards to kiss her again, but he and Angela froze when a soft noise came from the other bedroom across the apartment. They heads were turned in the direction of Qui Gon's bedroom,

"Looks like your Master has finally awakened." Angela stated while turning her attention back onto the tall handsome Jedi before her

"Looks like." He agreed, "We best get you out of this apartment before my Master comes out, or else it'll be pretty awkward explaining this whole to him." He murmured with a soft wink at Angela as he began to lead the way out of the living room towards the front door.

"Yeah, maybe it'll be best if I wander around the Temple for a while. Otherwise he might suspect something." Angela suggested, Obiwan thought about it for a second before he nodded his head in agreement,

"Yeah you're probably right. Tell you what, I'll meet you in the room of a thousand fountains in about an hour or so."

"Ok cool." Angela murmured as she and Obiwan walked side by side to the front door; it opened automatically to them and Angela swiftly stepped outside into the large hallway then turned back around to face Obiwan,

"I'll see you in a bit, Angela." Obiwan promised as he quickly leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

"Ok." She answered. Then she stepped back and Obiwan then quickly returned to his apartment. Once the door closed, Angela turned on her heel and headed down a hallway.


	38. Chapter 38: He Returns

CHAPTER 38: He Returns

~~~~Back in the Palace of Naboo~~~~

Maul and hologram vision of Sidious walked slowly down a long and empty hallway,

"What are we going to do about Angela?" Maul asked.

"Angela's treachery will be dealt with in time. But now we may have another issue at hand. It seems that dear, little Angela has fallen in love with a Jedi Apprentice." Sidious announced calmly; Maul turned to him with wide eyes,

"You know this?" he asked. Sidious nodded,

"I have seen it; one advantage of working as a Senator for the Queen of Naboo." Sidious answered with a sly smirk; Mauls hands that were down by his side curled into fists.

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"What you are going to do, my apprentice, is simply deliver a message to her." Sidious simply answered.

"How?"

"She's on the planet Corescant even as we speak. It won't be very difficult finding her."

"What's the message?" Maul asked anxiously.

"Its quiet simple, just convince Angela to come back to us."

"Master, with all do respect, I know Angela, she won't be persuaded easily." Maul stated.

"I know that. Angela is strong willed and quick minded, but I'm sure you can find away to get to her. Perhaps you can use her Jedi lover as leverage." Sidious hinted softly; Maul smirked,

"I'll leave at once. But how am I to get her alone?" he asked

"Leave that to me my apprentice." Sidious answered

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Back at the Jedi Temple~~~~~~~~~~~

Angela hummed a soft tune as she made her around the temple; it was still pretty quiet, but there were a few other Jedi wandering around so Angela wasn't alone necessarily. As she passed into what she would call the Lobby, an unexpectedly voice by a familiar man called to her from her mind,

"_Angela_," the voice hauntingly whispered causing Angela's spine to tingle with coldness. She stopped moving to listen, "_Dear child, why did you run away from us_?" the hoarse voice asked; Angela at once recognized who it belonged to.

"Impossible." She whispered out loud; the voice inside her head chuckled,

"_Did you honestly think you can hide from us_?" Sidious asked. Angela glanced quickly around the temple before she started taking quick strides towards the Temple's entrance.

"_What do you want, Sidious_?" she boldly whispered as she came upon to Temple's front double doors which slid open to her as she quickly approached them.

"_Last time I checked, I was still your Master_." Sidious pointed out; Angela shook her head,

"No. You're no Master of mine. I turned from that path months ago." She answered as she made her way down the stairs to the streets of Corescant; she stopped walking when she reached the bottom.

"_My dear, you can't run from what you are, a Sith_." Sidious stated.

"I am no Sith."

"_Fight all you want, Angela. But no matter what you tell yourself, you will always be one of us_."

"What do you want Sidious?" Angela demanded while swallowing her growing anger.

"_I am here to simply tell you that an old friend of yours has been dying to see you again and if you know what's good for you, you'd go and meet with him_." Sidious answered calmly. Angela thought about Sidious' words for a second,

"By him, you mean Maul."

"_Who else_?"

"What does he want?" Angela asked

"_Ask him yourself_."

"Is he close?" she questioned.

"_Closer than you think_." Sidious answered amusedly; at once Angela became alert, her eyes suspiciously darting all around her,

"He's in the City?"

"_Yes_."

Angela swallowed again before she gave a soft nod, "Where can I find him?"

"_Not too far from the Jedi Temple is an old abandoned building. He's waiting for you on the roof_."

"Fine." Angela answered before she quickly began seeking out the building from where she stood; just a few blocks away was the building. Without another word she stalked off towards it at great speed. Sidious' presence left her mind once she neared the old building; as she walked around the side of the building and came to a side door, Angela furiously waved a hand and the door flew open. Stepping inside the dark, dusty structure, she quickly sought out some stairs and climbed her way up to roof where Maul was waiting. At the door, Angela paused to take in a quick breath before she pushed open the door and stepped out onto the building's rooftop. Her eyes quickly darted across the area; Maul wasn't insight. When Angela stopped in the center of the roof's pavement, a familiar cold tingly sensation ran down her spine; she slowly turned around to find Maul dressed in his black cloak with his hood up over his horned head. Piercing yellow eyes met cool blue-green ones; Maul took a step forward,

"Hello Angela," his low voice began, "Long time, no see." He stated. Angela gave him a soft nod of agreement as her hand came up from her side to rest on the hilt of her saber,

"Maul." She answered before adding, "What do you want?" her eyes narrowing as the words left her mouth.

"I'm here to tell you that you've been ordered to come back to Naboo. It is my Master's wish," he paused before taking another step forward, "….as is mine."

Angela gave a soft snort, "Sorry, Maul but I no longer work for the two of you."

"You belong to the Sith." Maul's voice rose in anger,

"I belong to no one!" Angela threw back.

"You belong to me!" Maul growled while taking a couple more steps towards her. Angela wasn't intimidated; instead she stood her ground as Maul advanced on her. When he stopped moving, they stop toe to toe;

"I'm not going back Maul! If you're only here to see that I return to the Sith, then you have just wasted your time."

Maul's yellow eyes widened softly and he took in a deep breath before he began to slowly circle her like he had done when they first met, "Perhaps I've not made myself clear, I don't take no for an answer. You **will** return to us Angela." He hissed as he circled behind her, Angela stood tall, unmoving, "If you don't, someone might get hurt." He threatened; Angela still was not swayed,

"I've dealt with you before Maul, there's nothing you can do to hurt me that I haven't endured before." She fearlessly answered; to her surprise, Maul chuckled,

"I wasn't talking about you, I was referring…." He began as he paused behind her to whisper, "….your Jedi lover."

At his words, Angela's eyes widened and she quickly spun about to face Maul; her hand was about to whip out her saber when Maul pounced. His hands quickly snatched her by both her wrists and twisted them painfully behind her back, Angela hissed softly but did not cry out. Maul smirked triumphantly behind his hood,

"Honestly, out of all the men in the galaxy, you had to fall for a piece of Jedi scum." He hissed venomously. Angela held her head high, and remained silent. Maul brought his face close to Angela's, "The choice is yours, Angela. Come back to us…." He paused for a second, "…..come back to me…..or I'll have the boy killed."

"You wouldn't dare!" She whispered fiercely.

"Try me." He seriously threw back, "Oh and I wouldn't suggest telling him about this, I mean, what do you think he'd say when he finds out you're tied with the Sith?"

Angela's breath caught in her throat and she felt the color drain from her face as his words sunk in; she knew from her past experience with him, Maul was not someone who joked around with his threats. "You have 24 hours to decide, or I'll make the decision for you." Maul finished before roughly released her. She stumbled back a couple steps before regaining composure and watched as Maul turned about and left through the doorway, his black cloak billowing out behind him. For a few minuets, Angela silently stood on that rooftop, thinking about her options, but only one could come to mind. With a quick burst of energy, Angela bolted for the rooftop's ledge and leaped high into the air; she covered a good 20 feet before landing on the streets. Taking quick strides Angela made her way through the endless streets; she made a quick turn and found herself heading into a small café. Her breathing was coming in short gasps as she pushed her way through to a small table before taking a seat. By the time she got there, her hands were shaking. When a droid wheeled on by, Angela called out to it,

"Uh, excuse me, can I get a piece of paper and a writing utensil?" she asked quickly,

"Uh huh, sure thing, honey; give me a second." It answered before it disappeared behind a corner. Within five minuets, it rolled back over to Angela with a sheet of paper and pen.

"Here you are. Is that all?"

"Uh yes thank you."Angela answered as she took the paper and pen into her hands. The droid rolled off without another word, leaving Angela alone with her thoughts.

"How am I gonna do this?" she asked herself quietly; with the paper in front of her and the pen in her hand, she put the tip to the paper and began to write,

"Obiwan,

This is the hardest thing I'll ever have to do….. especially after this morning when you asked me to marry you but we can't be together…"

Angela had to pause for a second to think about her next words.

"I can't tell you why I must leave, only that it must be done and that things will be much better off this way. We were fools to believe that things could work out between us….so now I must say goodbye…..forever.

~ Angela

Her turquoise eyes quickly scanned over the words she had just written down; a strong feeling of grief gripped her heart making it hurt to breathe. After drawing in a small, shaky breath, she rose from her seat at the table; the letter clutched firmly in her left hand. As she slowly made her way towards the café's exit, she pulled her black hood up over her head, hiding her face from society.

(Obiwan's P.O.V)

~~~~~~~Back at the Temple~~~~~~~

Obiwan sat patiently on the edge of a white marble fountain; his eyes were closed and his body relaxed in meditation. He had been meditating there all day, waiting for Angela to come and meet him but she never showed like they had planned. When at last he opened his eyes only to find himself alone, he quickly stood up and walked swiftly back to his apartment. As he walked through the doorway, he saw his master sitting in a chair reading a book.

"Master," he calmly spoke; Qui Gon turned his eyes away from his book to look over at his apprentice,

"Yes, Obiwan?" he answered.

"Have you seen or heard word from Angela at all today?" Obiwan asked curiously; Qui Gon cocked an eyebrow,

"Angela?" he repeated before shaking his head slowly, "No I haven't seen her at all. Why do you ask?"

"She was suppose to meet up with me today for…..uh…training purposes" Obiwan quickly lied, "…. but looks like she never showed." He answered.

"Hmmm…well Angela is a very busy young woman. Perhaps she got caught up in some business." Qui Gon suggested as he looked back down at his open book.

"Yeah…..I guess so…." Obiwan agreed uncertainly though deep down he knew something was up. "Umm….guess I'll just go train for a little bit. Be back in a few hours." Obiwan stated as he turned on his heel and headed for the door again.

"Alright, Obiwan." Qui Gon answered from his chair. As Obiwan made his way for the Training Arena, he passed by a hanging clock; it read 4:27. He let out a soft disappointed sigh,

"Where are you, Angela?" he asked himself quietly.

(Angela's P.O.V)

"Come on Angie, you've got to do this." Angela told herself as she silently made her way through the Jedi Temple. By now the sun had already set and the city of Corescant was dark and settling down for the night, as was the Temple. The corridor that she was walking down seemed endless but she soon found herself frozen outside the apartment of Obiwan. She raised her right hand up and gave it a soft wave causing the door to silently slide open; Angela quickly walked inside. The apartment was empty; there was absolutely no sign of Obiwan, Qui Gon or little Anakin anywhere. After turning down the right hallway in the apartment, Angela found herself entering Obiwan's room. She silently made her way over to his neatly made bed where she slowly placed her folded letter on his pillow; then she reached her hands up to the back of her neck and undid the clasp of her engagement necklace before she set it on top of the letter. Without a second thought, she spun around and practically ran out of the bedroom before leaving the apartment. Her long strides carried her out of Temple and back out onto the streets where she had a small fighter ship waiting for her. By the time she climbed into the cockpit of the ship, a single tear was sliding down her cheek. With a heavy heart, Angela started up the ship and took the controls. Within a few minuets, she was flying out of the atmosphere of Corescant and into the black abyss known as space; her destination…..Naboo.


	39. Chapter 39: The Choice

Chapter 39: The Choice

(Obiwan's P.O.V)

~~~~~~Back at the Temple~~~~~~

After returning from another meeting with the Council about young Anakin, Obiwan automatically made his way towards his bedroom. Upon entering his private quarters, he instantly shrugged off his Jedi cloak before he carelessly tossed it onto his bed; it landed in a lump at the foot of his bed while flash of white and blue suddenly caught his eye. Obiwan turned his head to stare at his bed to find a small letter and something else on it resting on his pillow. After cocking his head in curiosity, he walked over and took a seat on the side of the mattress while he reached a hand over to pick up a letter and the necklace he had made for Angela. While he gently held the blue crystal in one hand, he used his other to unfold the piece of paper; the words that greeted his eyes as he read the first sentence of the letter, practically tore his heart out,

Obiwan,

This is the hardest thing I'll ever have to do….. especially after this morning when you asked me to marry you but we can't be together…..I can't tell you why I must leave, only that it must be done and that things will be much better off this way. We were fools to believe that things could work out between us….so now I must say goodbye…..forever.

~ Angela

Obiwan couldn't believe what he had just read; and even after rereading it over and over again, he still couldn't believe it….Angela had left him. He released his hold on the letter and watched as it fluttered to the floor then he lowered his gaze to the necklace that he still held in his hand. His hand closed around the blue crystal tightly before he raised his now closed fist up to his mouth and closed his eyes in grief,

"Angela…." He whispered softly; the pain that he felt that night was like a knife being driven straight through his heart…

(Angela's P.O.V)

~~~~~On Naboo~~~~

Angela had just landed her ship not too far from the overthrown capital of Naboo when she swiftly climbed out and began walking into the city. Her hood was drawn up so you couldn't see her slightly tearstained face with her saber softly swinging at her hip. It didn't take her long to arrive at the Palace, nor did it surprise her to see a familiar black figure waiting for her in the Entrance way. She took in a deep breath before she courageously stalked up to the smirking Maul.

"Glad to see that you made it." He stated humorously; Angela scowled behind her hood and remained silent while glaring daggers at his black and red tattooed face. Feeling her hatred toward him, Maul softly clicked his tongue together, "Angry are we?" he pointed out. Angela raised her head high,

"Don't start with me, Maul. I'm in no mood for your sick remarks." She spat furiously. Maul took a step closer to her and reached out to caress the side of her face with his hand,

"Come, come Angela, don't be like th…" Just as his finger tips touched the soft skin of her cheek, Angela drew a fist back and rammed it right below his chin. He took a few steps back at the force of her blow before he quickly regained his composure; to Angela's surprise, he started to laugh,

"You still have a little fight in you…." He stated with a sick smile, "I like that." Angela only rolled her eyes,

"Give it a rest, Maul! That crap didn't work before, it doesn't work now."

Maul chuckled, "We'll see." He murmured before he took a side step, "Coming inside?" he asked. Angela stuck her chest out slightly before she marched right on by him inside the Palace, Maul followed her right behind. As her quick strides carried her down a long corridor with Maul at her side, she glanced over at last man she wanted to see in the galaxy.

"You still haven't told me exactly why you have called me back." She stated irritably,

"Isn't it obvious??" He replied. Angela's eyes narrowed and a look of disgust came across her features; Maul, seeing this, gave a dark chuckle, "Not that I'm not eager to get you alone or anything but I know what you're thinking and that's not it. We're here to finish what we started," He answered, "…..after that," he started to continue but Angela quickly cut him off,

"Forget it! I'm not taking any part in this." She firmly stated.

"Oh yes you will." Maul threw back

"No. I came back only for one reason and it wasn't to do your work."

Maul rolled his yellow eyes "Yeah, yeah, yeah it was to save your Jedi scum, whatever. The point is….," Angela once again jumped in,

"The point, Maul, is that I'm never going back to being your pawn." Maul shook his head in irritation,

"Is one piece of Jedi trash worth denying yourself your destiny? You're meant to be one of us, Angela."

"You are dead wrong, Maul. I'll never be Sith." She stated before she stopped in her tracks and turned about to face Maul head on, "…..and for the record…..yes **HE **isworth everything!" she ended fearlessly. Maul's eyes narrowed dangerously as he took a menacing step towards Angela,

"He's a worthless, brainless pile of filth!" he growled in anger

"He's a man!" Angela passionately stated, "……which is more than what I can say about you." She hissed venomously. Before Angela could blink, Maul's large hand flew up to her neck and gripped it tightly as he pushed her into a wall. Maul brought his face close to hers but Angela didn't flinch or move,

"Learn your place, Angela." He growled. Angela's eyes narrowed softly despite the fact that his grip had tightened with each word,

"My place Maul," she breathlessly spoke out, "…is with him and it always will be!" she answered. In a flash, Maul backhanded Angela; it had happened with such force and speed it snapped her head right back into the wall. She saw white for a few seconds before blacking out…

(Inside the Queen's Chamber)

Padme, dressed as Queen Amidala, stood staring out her chamber's window. A look of grave sadness covered her features as her thoughts strayed to a certain heroic young woman. It has been 24 hours since Angela had left and her words were still echoed inside Padme's head.

**~Flashback~**

"_The Senate?? Forget the Senate! Its time we took things into our own hands!!" Angela cried. And before Padme could blink, Angela was preparing to leave._

"_Angela stop this madness! _You're an Ambassador to Naboo, Angela, remember? If you try to go against the Viceroy with violence against his army, you will drag us into war!!" Padme threw back.

It was this next part that Padme will never forget. The look in Angela's eyes as she simply glanced over her shoulder back at Padme before saying,

"_You words have no effect on me, Padme. For let's face it, we went to war the day the Viceroy landed his troops on our planet. And the sooner you accept that, then the sooner our planet can be saved. Now, you've got the choice Padme, to join me and take a stand, fight back, or you can remain here waiting on a bunch on politicians to decide the fate of our planet, our people!"_

"_If you go Angela, you can be killed." Padme pleaded with tears in her brown eyes._

"There has always been a risk of me getting killed Padme, and I've learned to accept that ever since I became the Black Rider…for the record I don't plan on dying anytime soon." Angela finished, "We will meet again, Padme……"

Padme bowed her head softly. She was so caught up in her personal thoughts that she didn't even hear JarJar come into her room and stand beside her.

"You'sa thinken dat you'sa people gonna die?" he asked. Padme looked back up at the window,

"I don't know…." She replied

"Gungans gonna get wasted too, eh?" JarJar stated

"I hope not…." Amidala answered

"Gungans do die without a fight….we'sa warriors. We'sa gotta a grand army. Dat why you no liken us, methinks…." JarJar ended softly. Queen Amidala looked over at him quickly with sad eyes and as this happened, Palpatine and Captain Panaka rushed into the room and bowed before her.

"Your Highness, Senator Palpatine has been nominated to  
succeed Valorum as Supreme Chancellor." The Captain happily stated.

"A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one," Palpatine began. Amidala softly bowed her head in deep thought before she slowly walked past the Senator. Palpatine saw her distress and quickly added, "Your Majesty, if I am elected, I will bring democracy back to the Republic. I  
will put an end to corruption. The Trade Federation will lose its influence over the bureaucrats, and our people will be freed!" he finished.

"Who else has been nominated?" Amidala softly demanded; her mind however ended up straying back over to the thought of her dearest friend fighting for her people's freedom as the Captain announced the names of the other candidates.

"I feel confident...our "situation" will create a strong sympathy vote for us... I will be Chancellor, I promise you your Highness." Senator Palpatine assured,

"And I fear by the time you have control of the bureaucrats, Senator, there will be nothing left of our cities, our people, our way of life..." Amidala pointed out

"I understand your concern but since the Federation has control of our planet, the Law is in their favor," he tried explaining,

"Then there is nothing more I can do here, Senator. This is your arena, now I must return to mine. I have decided to go back to Naboo; my place is with my people." Amidala boldly stated

"Go back!! But, Your Majesty, be realistic! You would be in  
danger. They will force you to sign the treaty." Palpatine protested,

"I will sign no treaty, Senator! My fate will be no different from that of our people. Captain!" the young Queen called as she made her way towards the front door, Captain Panaka stood at attention,

"Yes your highness?"

"Ready my ship." She ordered.

"Please, Your Majesty, stay here...where it's safe." Palpatine pleaded,

"No place is safe, if the Senate doesn't condemn this invasion. It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions as a democracy…. If you win the election, Senator, I know you will do everything possible to stop the Federation. I pray you will bring sanity and compassion back to the Senate." Amidala finished before she and Captain Panaka left the room, "I'm on my way, Angela." She softly thought to herself with a fierce determination as the two of them made the necessary preparations for the journey home.


	40. Chapter 40: Her own Comeback

Chapter 40: Her own Comeback 

(Somewhere in the Palace of Naboo)

A throbbing pain in Angela's temples was what brought her to her senses; she slowly opened her eyes to find her vision unclear and blurry, a soft groan escaped her lips before she forced herself to sit up. Angela found herself lying a large silk bed in what she guessed was a guest room in the Palace. Recalling what had happened upon arrival with Maul, Angela automatically looked down on herself to see that she was still fully clothed, boots and all; Maul hadn't taken advantage her.

"Smart Sith," she thought to herself as she stiffly got out of bed. She started taking long strides over to the chamber's door but had to slow her pace as a dizzy spell washed over her form, "Ugh my head!" she complained irritably bringing a hand up to gently rub one of her throbbing temples. At her touch, the pain faded away and Angela marched out of the chamber she was placed in to track down the bastard who had struck her in the first place. Didn't take long to find him, he was in a deep discussion with the Viceroy at the end of the hallway Angela was walking down. At the sound of her fast approach, he turned around to face the fiery young woman,

"Ah, morning Angela, I was wondering when I would see you up and about." He stated with one of his gross smirks, "How's your head feeling?" he quickly added. Angela held her high and her eyes narrowed in a dangerous warning as she slowly walked up to Maul.

"Why don't I show you?" She answered. Maul clicked his tongue at the threat, his eyes lighting up at the challenge,

"Is this a bad time Darth Maul?" The Viceroy quickly asked; Angela's eyes flew over to where the Viceroy stood and she saw him cringe under her gaze.

"No, I'll deal with Angela later" Maul answered; Angela crossed her arms over her chest,

"Pssh! You couldn't 'deal' with me before you won't be able to do it now." She said before she spun on her heel and walked away.

"And where do you think you're going?" Maul called irritably to her,

"Wherever the wind takes me, Maul." Angela fearlessly called back. Without another word, Angela marched off down the hallway and then entered a small outdoor courtyard. As she walked about the perimeter, two droids passed by,

"Prepare the droid vessels; Viceroy wants us to destroy the resistance who landed on the far outskirts of the city." One of the droids said,

"Roger, roger." Said the other one,

"Resistance?" Angela thought to herself, and then her eyes widened as it dawned on her, "Padme….." Angela smiled softly as she realized that Padme was finally going to face the Trade Federation head on, "Ah……but she won't do it alone." Angela told herself before she let out a soft laugh, "Maul will regret ever bringing me back into his plan…I'll make sure of that." She stated while smirking to herself as a plan of action started to build within her mind. All day Angela scoped, planned, and drew out her well formulated strategy; and then when at last the sun was starting to set, Angela decided that now would be the best time to send word to Padme. With her work carefully rolled up and tucked away safely inside her almost knee high boot, Angela pulled her hood up over her head, snuck past the many droid guards, located a speeder and was off. Was Maul going to be pissed off when he finds out that she left? Hell yeah but Angela was perfectly ok with that. Angela skillfully drove out beyond the palace and city walls before she started reaching the far plains of the capital where she sensed Padme resided for the moment. A smile tugged at her lips when she spotted the young Queen's ship with tents already set up around it for night shelter. Not wanting to make a scene, Angela drove behind some trees before bringing the speeder to a stop; then in a swift movement, she got off the speeder and silently entered the camp. There's was not a lot of movement going on which slightly concerned Angela but she brushed it off thinking that it was probably for the best that no one but Padme saw her here. By now, the sky was darkening, allowing Angela to blend more in with the shadows. After using her keen eyesight to search the perimeter of the camp from where she stood, Angela finally, joyfully located Padme. The young Queen was walking by herself; her head bowed slightly in deep thought. Angela glanced around quickly before she puckered her lips and let out a soft, high pitch whistle at the Queen. Padme's head instantly snapped up before she turned about looking for the source of the whistle. Angela quickly stepped out of the shadows and waved her arms about wildly trying to get her attention. Padme's brown eyes caught her movements and soon her face lit up with pure happiness at seeing her friend. Angela then raised a finger up to her head and tapped softly at her temple signaling Padme to use her head and not make a scene. Padme softly nodded in understanding, then she gathered herself like a Queen would, composed and graceful and slowly strolled towards her. When she was close enough, Angela reached her hand out which Padme quickly took before Angela and Padme took off running deep into the trees for privacy. When the two finally came to a stop, they threw themselves into a sisterly embrace; Padme was giggling happily like a school girl. When the two pulled away, Angela stared into her friend's warm brown eyes,

"I can't believe you're here." She confessed breathlessly with a smile on her face.

"Well I wasn't going to let you take back our planet all by yourself." Padme replied then she paused for a second, her face grew grim, "You were right…." She added, "About the Senate….about everything!" she looked at her feet and shook her head, "I can't believe how stupid I've been."

"Padme…." Angela started while she lightly gripped her friend by her shoulders, "You haven't been stupid……stubborn as hell? Yes! But never stupid." She corrected. Padme choked on a laugh before she gave Angela another quick hug

"I'm so glad to see you safe." She stated.

"And why wouldn't I be?" Angela playfully threw back.

"I have no idea. So far you haven't failed in anything yet."

Angela tilted her head back and laughed, "You give me too much credit, Padme."

Padme smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "It's nothing you don't deserve." Angela waved the compliment off lightly with her hand while softly rolling her eyes. When she looked back at Padme, she found her friend staring admirably at her; Angela glanced around quickly,

"What?" she asked.

Padme gave a soft laugh, "Nothing….its just now with you here with us, I know that we can't fail." She confessed before adding, "Anakin will be so happy to see you again."

Angela gave a sad smile, "I'd like to see him again too but regrettably Padme, my return tonight isn't permanent."

Padme's brows furrowed in confusion, "Angela I don't understand……you're….leaving?"

Angela glanced away, "Something like that…" she murmured,

"But….we need you here." Padme protested.

"I…."Angela began thinking about her current situation with Maul, "I'm needed elsewhere. I only came to bring you this..." Angela stated while she reached a hand down to her boot and pulled out the plan she designed. She held it out for Padme to take, "I've scoped everything out, from start to finish. If it's followed correctly and put into action at the right time, then we will be able end this war as quickly as it started."

Padme took Angela's plan and opened it up, her brown eyes scanning over the fine details, "Angela…..this is brilliant." She looked up from the paper to stare at her friend, "….but why are you giving me this? It's your plan…shouldn't you be the one to lead it?"

Angela shook her head, "No Padme, you must be the one to lead this."

"Then what do you plan to do?" Padme asked curiously,

Angela sighed before she started to pace around, "I'm a little undecided at the moment."

"That doesn't sound right….Angela the famous Black Rider undecided?"

"I know it seems a little odd….but right now I'm in a tight spot, one that won't allow me to plan things out. I'm kind of….being forced to…."Angela paused to think of the right words, "….make things up as I go along."

"Will you be okay?" Padme softly asked, her voice full of concern. Angela turned back to her friend,

"I will be. Just promise me you'll stick to that plan. It's the only way I'll be able to get to you and keep you safe."

"I promise Angela." Padme said. Angela gave a relieved smile,

"Good, now then I must warn yo…." Before Angela could finish her sentence another voice came on scene,

"Your Majesty?" the low, smooth and familiar male voice called. Angela paled inside her hood, recognizing the voice as the figure who owned it stepped out from behind a tree. The two young women turned about to see Qui Gon's apprentice approaching them, "…it is not safe for you to…" Obiwan's voice trailed off as his blue green eyes landed on Angela's cloaked and hooded form; he froze in his step, "…….Angela?" he asked in disbelief.

"Damnit! Why is he here? He's not supposed to be here!!" her mind screamed at her, Angela quickly found her voice, "He...hello Obiwan." She returned, forcing her voice to sound as calm as possible. The two were silent for a few seconds, staring at one another as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Padme glanced at Angela then Obiwan and quickly caught on that something was up,

"It's alright Padawan Kenobi," Padme began breaking the silence but not the locked gazes, "….I am not left without protection. Should any danger come along, our Angela would take care of it easily." She stated.

Angela finally broke the eye contact to glance at Padme; she gave a slight nod of her head while her eyes shown bright with gratitude. An unspoken 'thanks' and 'don't mention it' passed between the two friends before they glanced back over at Obiwan who stood dressed in his usual Jedi attire watching them silently.

"Well then," he spoke up, "…it appears you won't be needing my service." He stated as he gave a soft bow, "….should anything happen, just call."

Padme nodded at the young Jedi man, "Thank you, Obiwan."

Then without another word, he glanced once more at Angela before he turned around and walked off. Once he was out of sight, Angela let out a loud sigh as she raised a hand up to cover her face,

"That is going to complicate things just a bit…." She grumbled. Padme turned to her friend and placed her hands upon her hips,

"Clearly I must've missed something because something is not right between you and Obiwan. What happened?" her friend softly demanded.

"Nothing Padme," Angela sighed one more, "What's done is done."

"Geeze Angela, you sound as if you broke up with him." Padme stated, Angela glanced silently at Padme before she looked down; Padme quickly understood, she raised both her hands up to cover her mouth in shock, "You broke up with him?!" she shrieked softly into her hands, "….wait," she quickly cried, dropping her hands back down to her hips, "….when did the two of you get together?!"

Angela gave a soft groan, "It's a long story, Padme. All you need to know now is that it's over."

Padme gave a quiet snort, "Whatever that was back there, didn't look over to me, Angela." She wisely stated, "Why did you do it?" she asked curiously, "I mean I thought you really cared about him."

Angela looked up quickly, "I do, Padme!" she exclaimed, "….that's why I had to let him go." She confessed in a whisper. Padme's eyes grew soft with sympathy,

"Oh Angela…." She murmured, Angela softly shook her head,

"Don't worry about. We've got bigger things to concern ourselves with. Now as I was stating before, I was able to overhear the Viceroy's plan. He knows you're here and he plans to attack. My guess would be sometime late afternoon tomorrow."

Padme's eyes widened, "Tomorrow?" she breathed out, "…that's far too early for us to prepare anything."

"I have not left you without a plan, Padme remember that."

"But our forces are small Angela. If what you say is true, even with you fighting on our side, we don't have what it takes to defeat the Trade Federation."

"Have you not sent for more troops?" Angela asked.

"Of course I have. They should be here sometime tomorrow. But most likely not before….the time you believe the Trade Federation will attack."

"Then I'll by you guys some time."

"How?"

"I don't know but I'll do whatever it takes." Angela promised, "I will not forsake you Padme, or our people." She finished, "Now…..I must be go. I have already overstayed my time limit."

Padme threw her arms around Angela in a parting embrace, "Be safe, my friend." Padme whispered. Angela quickly returned the hug,

"Stay safe." She whispered back before pulling away. Without another word, Angela spun around and quickly walked back into the shadows, disappearing from Padme's sight.


	41. Chapter 41: All I ask of you

Chapter 41: All I Ask of You…

Angela swiftly and silently made her way back through the trees until she found her speeder which was waiting patiently for her right where she left it. Reaching a hand out, she placed it softly on the metal transporter and for a few seconds simply stood there looking down upon it. A tingling sensation shot down her spine then a warm hand placed itself on her cloaked shoulder from behind. Angela tensed up slightly; the touch was gentle but firm and very familiar, she knew who it was before the figure spoke,

"I need to talk to you." Obiwan's voice said. Angela closed her eyes for a second,

"Now is not the time…." She answered back.

"Angela," Obiwan's pleading voice spoke, "….I only need a few minuets."

Logically Angela's head was telling her to blow him off but her heart told her to stay. Since she made no further protest, Obiwan's hand slid from her shoulder down till it took Angela's wrist. Reluctantly Angela turned about and allowed Obiwan to lead her off back into the trees where they could talk alone. Obiwan took her to a small clearing that overlooked a lake. The moon's pale light was reflecting off the lake's deep blue water giving the scene a dreamlike touch. Feeling drawn to it, Angela pulled out of Obiwan's hold and walked till she stood on the sandy bank of the lake, just inches away from the water. And then there was silence, between the two no one spoke a word. Finally, Angela sighed,

"What do you want Obiwan?" she calmly asked while facing away from him, looking out at the lake. She heard Obiwan take a step closer to her from behind,

"A last request." He answered back in the same calm tone. Angela's brows furrowed behind her hood in confusion,

"A request Obiwan?" she repeated.

"Yes. After the letter that you left me with, I believe you owe me at least that much." He stated.

Angela's eyes unbeknownst to him softened with sadness but her voice was not affected, "Fair enough." She answered, "What is your request?" she asked.

Again she heard Obiwan's boots move across the ground towards her till they stood just a few feet apart.

"Will you not look at me?" he asked. Angela bit her lip in thought before she slowly turned around to face the handsome Jedi behind her,

"Okay now what?" she softly demanded from behind her shielding hood as she stared up into his face meeting his captivating eyes. Obiwan took a step closer,

"I want you, Angela," he began, "….to look me straight in the eyes and tell me that you don't love me." He answered seriously.

Angela's breath got stuck in her throat, "What?" she breathlessly asked.

"You heard me." Obiwan threw back while he crossed his well toned arms over his broad chest.

Angela turned her head to the side so she wouldn't have to look at Obiwan; inside her mind, Angela was fighting a war with herself.

"Come on Angie, you got to do this. Just come on out and say it……say it!" her head screamed. Angela took in a deep breath and tried forming the words with her mouth then she looked back at Obiwan, "I…I do not love you….Obiwan…."she managed to get out.

Obiwan stared deeply into Angela's eyes, so deep it felt like he was reading her very soul, finally he shook his head, "And I do not believe you."

Angela frowned softly before she turned around and started pacing across the bank of the lake, "Why are you doing this Obiwan? Can't you accept things the way they are?"

"No I cannot. Especially not like this. I know you still love me Angela."

Angela gave a soft nervous laugh, "Ha! And how would you know that?" she asked while she stopped her pacing and faced the lake once more. Suddenly, she felt Obiwan's powerful hands upon her hips before he spun her around to face him; then his arms wrapped themselves tightly around her waist before he crushed her against the hard, full length of his body. Angela couldn't help but gasp in surprise at how well her body seemed to fit perfectly with his; she then looked up and stared into Obiwan's passionate gaze,

"I can see it in your eyes, Angela." He stated as he reached a hand up and pushed back her hood. Angela blinked and shook her head 'no'

"You see nothing, Obiwan." She protested, Obiwan let one of his arms free so that he could raise his hand up to Angela's mouth,

"You respond to my touch." He pointed out as he cupped Angela's chin in one hand while he brushed his thumb over her lips and sure enough, she found them involuntarily opening. Obiwan leaned his head down until their foreheads touched, "All you have to do Angela is tell me that you don't love me. If you can, I'll let you go and you'll never see me again. But…." He paused for a few seconds, "…if you can't, don't let me make myself believe a lie." He begged softly,

"Obiwan, I'm not asking you to believe me or not," Angela pointed out, "…..I'm asking you to let me go."

"Why, Angela?" Obiwan asked, "What are you so afraid of?"

Angela shook her head which was screaming 'losing you!' and instead responded with this, "It's not like that Obiwan."

"Then explain to me what it is!"

"You don't know me, Obiwan!" Angela cried, "….you don't know me……" she whispered.

"I know enough!" Obiwan threw back, "I know that you're the most beautiful, amusing, intelligent, caring, and strong young woman I've ever met. And I also know that I'm madly in love with you and want to spend the rest of my life by your side."

At his words, Angela lost it and tears quickly filled her eyes, "Our love is based off lies Obiwan. And if you knew the truth about my past it would destroy you." she answered while thinking about Maul and his threat.

"Angela," Obiwan whispered as he held her more closely to him, "Angela….that's crazy." Angela arms finally came alive and wrapped themselves around Obiwan before she leaned her head down and rested it on his chest. She allowed herself to be held by him for those few minuets because she believed them to be the last time she'd find herself in his arms. An ice-cold shiver shot down her spine, Angela tensed up and paled knowing that sensation all too well. She looked up over Obiwan's broad shoulder to see that familiar black cloaked figure with glowing yellow eyes standing fifteen feet away,

"Maul….." Angela whispered breathlessly.


	42. Chapter 42: The Truth Comes Out

Chapter 42: The Truth Comes out

Angela could see the pure rage and jealousy behind Maul's glowing eyes, so naturally she started to push her way out of Obiwan's arms. Obiwan instantly sensed Angela's uneasiness and instinctively brought his hand down to his lightsaber's hilt at his hip. Then he quickly pushed Angela back far enough to whip his deadly weapon out; its blue blade humming in the night air as he turned around to see Maul staring him down,

"Well don't the two of you make a cute couple." Maul's venomous voice hissed; Obiwan's eyes narrowed dangerously and he pointed the tip of his lightsaber at Maul in a warning. Maul chuckled, "Careful boy, you might hurt yourself." He mocked.

Angela took a step up but Obiwan held her back with a protective hand, "What do you want?" Obiwan demanded fiercely, his eyes never leaving Maul's tattooed face.

"I'm simply here to take back what's mine." Maul answered back as his yellow eyes moved onto Angela who stood off to the side of Obiwan. Obiwan followed Maul's gaze before he took up a fighting stance in anger,

"Over my dead body." Obiwan growled

Maul smirked before shrugging, "That can be easily arranged." He answered flashing his black and gold teeth while his own hand reached down and unhooked his own saber from his hip. Angela flinched as the red blade came to life before her eyes widened as she watched the two men getting ready to fight over her. Her eyes narrowed softly as her independent side kicked in; Suddenly Obiwan and Maul started to charge,

"Oh no you don't!" Angela protested. Pushing one hand out, Angela forced pushed Maul off his feet before she used her other hand to pull Obiwan back. Once the two were separated far enough, Angela ran to stand in between them, "Enough!" she cried holding her arms out wide to prevent the two from further attack, "You two are being so typically male!!" she screamed at them. Obiwan raised an eyebrow at her actions, Maul got an amused look across his face, "Now both of you back down or so help me I'll kick both your asses!"

Surprisingly Maul was the first to put away his lightsaber, Obiwan kept his on but lowered it down to his side.

"Angela……" Obiwan spoke his voice low with warning, "….he's a Sith."

" You don't need to tell her that boy, she knows me very well already." Maul retorted sickeningly,

"Shut up, Maul!" Angela snapped at him, Obiwan looked at Angela with wide eyes,

"You know him?" he asked. Maul chuckled; Angela swallowed knowing full well where this conversation would be going to.

"Unfortunately I am acquainted with him….…" she replied while she dropped her arms down by her side.

"How so?" Obiwan demanded.

"Uh….well……" Angela started but stopped to think of the right words. Maul who stood watching the two started to laugh,

"Tisk, tisk Angela." He lightly scolded before he turned his yellow eyes onto Obiwan, "She never told you huh?" he asked while he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Told me what?" Obiwan commanded.

"About her training." Maul replied his smirk widening, Angela bowed her head in shame, "I mean how else do you think she learned to fight and use the force?" he asked, "She was an apprentice to a Sith Lord," he finished.

"Angela?" Obiwan called to her in disbelief; Angela looked up with grave eyes,

"I tried to tell you, Obiwan…." She remorsefully replied.

"You're with him?!" Obiwan cried in disbelief as he took a step back like he was just punched in the stomach.

Angela wanted to scream 'no!' but instead she remained silent.

"Oh does that bother you, Jedi scum?" Maul's voice jumped in. Angela's head snapped around to look at the Sith on the other side of her, her eyes now blazing with pure hatred.

"Angela….." Obiwan breathed out, Angela licked her lips before bowing her head again. Before she could blink, Maul's arm hooked onto her waist,

"So sorry but we really must be off now." With that said he started dragging Angela off with him. Obiwan did nothing but watch, and right before they were out of hearing distance Angela heard Obiwan cry after,

"You were right!" he screamed, "I don't know you!!" His tone was dripping with betrayal, it was so strong Angela felt it pierce right through to her heart. Maul dragged her back into the trees where he had his own speeder waiting for them. When he forced her on, a single tear was sliding down Angela's face,

"I'm so sorry Obiwan, my love. In time you'll understand that everything I've done, I did it for you…and when you do I can only hope that'll you'll forgive me." She prayed silently inside her mind while Maul climbed on behind. He started the speeder up in a flash and pretty soon they were cutting across the plains back to the city walls. Upon arriving at the palace, Maul jumped off the speeder before latching onto Angela, he roughly pulled her behind him as he led the way back into the Royal building.

"I hope you enjoyed your late night visit to your pathetic lover boy cause that'll be the last time you'll ever see him….alive that is."

Angela's heart stopped for a beat or so, "You said if I came back to you, you'd leave him alone!" Angela pointed out angrily

"Yes…well that was before I knew he was going to be part of the resistance here. I have strict orders to make sure that everyone but the Queen is annihilated."

"If you touch him Maul, I swear on my last breath," Maul quickly rolled his eyes as he gave another sharp tug on Angela to keep up,

"Oh Angela, trust me I'll take no pleasure in killing him." He mumbled sarcastically,"

"Bull shit!" Angela hissed,

"Language Angela." Maul spoke with a smirk. Then he stopped at a door which would lead into 'Angela's' room. He threw the door open and stormed on in, dragging Angela behind him.

"Ok I'm back, now let go!" Angela demanded. Maul pulled her to the foot of her bed, alerting every sense possible in her body,

"And risk the possibility of you leaving again? Uh-uh, sorry Angela. But I'm afraid I can't do that. See Master Sidious wants you under close watch and with this being such a hectic time, I must resort to using a different method of keeping you here since threatening your piece of Jedi trash clearly wasn't enough."

"You bastard!" Angela swore, Maul's smirk widened,

"Such a sharp tongue Angela," he stated as pulled Angela close to his body, "Makes a man wonder what you could do with it." Maul then reached into his robes and pulled out something Angela couldn't exactly see. Then he jerked her close and raised a hand up before he stuck something sharp into her neck. Angela gasped at the pain from the needle; he was drugging her, and the drugged worked fast, Angela's vision soon became blurry and her knees wobbly. Maul then scooped her up in his arms and placed her on the bed before grabbing her wrists and pulling them above her head; cool metal clasps were secured on them, and Angela found herself handcuffed to the headboard. Her anger was so strong it was able to overpower the drug that was now running through her system,

"What the hell Maul!!" Angela cried in anger as she yanked on her tight restraints, Maul stepped back from the bed to look down on her and observe his work,

"That ought to hold you till this whole thing with the Queen is done. Oh almost forgot," he stated as he reached a hand down to Angela's hip and unhooked her saber, "You won't be needing this anytime soon. So I'll just," Maul turned around and tossed Angela's only weapon onto the other far side of the room, it fell to the floor with a clang, "….put this away for you."

"You jackass! What's with the cuffs?" Angela furiously demanded. Maul walked back over to the bed to lean over Angela's form, he braced his arms on either side of her head to cage her in, not like she could go anywhere in the first place.

"I know you that you've helped the Queen plan to break into this palace at some point. My master and I can no longer afford you helping them out. So by doing this, you're kept under watch but more importantly, you're out of the way."

Angela practically shook with rage, "You're dead!" she hissed, "The moment I'm free of these chains you're dead!" suddenly Angela felt drained of her strength and she collapsed on the bed,

Maul chuckled, "We'll see…." He answered as he drew away. "Pity…..those chains become you." He randomly stated as he eyed Angela chained form, "Such a waste…" he grumbled as he turned and walked away from the bed. "Have a goodnight Angela, I'll let you know how things go in the morning….if you're awake by then." He stated as he walked out of the door and slammed it shut behind him. Then Angela could hear the clicking sound of a lock being put in place, Angela swore,

"Drugged, handcuffed, and now locked inside a room? Did he miss anything else?!" she screamed inside her mind, "Oh Padme…..I hope you are prepared for this….God knows I wasn't….." She whispered out loud before losing consciousness.


	43. Chapter 43: To Lie for Love

Chapter 43: To Lie for Love

(Padme's P.O.V)

When the morning came around at last, Padme quickly gathered her Captain and the two Jedi and informed them of the plan that Angela had given her. As Master Qui Gon listened intently on the plan of action, he gave a soft nod of approval,

"A well devised plan, your Highness." He stated, "But how do you plan to breech the palace walls?" he asked.

Padme pulled out a hologram of the city, "We'll use the underground passage going through the waterfalls; it'll then allow us to come up right outside the walls of the palace, giving us the advantage of a surprise attack."

She then explained how Jar Jar and his troops will draw out the droids from the city, leaving the Viceroy unprotected, "We must've fail in capturing the Viceroy, he's the key to everything." She reminded. And then it was decided, right when the afternoon came around, they we're going to war. Soon their small camp of forces were running about with final preparations; Padme decided it would be a good time to get a little alone time with herself before things started getting hectic. She walked off into the trees where she had met with Angela the night before; then while leaning up against the bark of a tree, she closed her brown eyes in deep thought,

"I hope this works, Angela." She prayed silently,

"…….Your Highness?" came Obi-wan's voice, Padme's eyes snapped open and she spun about in shock as she faced the handsome looking Jedi,

"Oh…." She breathed out softly, "….it's only you, Obi-wan."

Obi-wan gave a low bow before he approached the young queen, "I don't mean to intrude your Highness….but I can't help but wonder……" he paused for a quick second to lick his lips, "……Angela was the one who gave you that plan, wasn't she?"

Padme gave a soft smile, "Is it that obvious?" she asked; Obi-wan gave a slight, sad smile in return before shaking his head,

"No. But I know Angela and how her mind works in these areas….." he answered, "…….she's famous for her techniques which are bases off military strategies like the one you told us about."

Padme raised an eyebrow up at his tone of voice before she cocked her head to the side, "You sound doubtful, Obi-wan." She stated, "….do you doubt the plan?" she asked.

"Not the plan……" he murmured while he looked off into the distance, "…..the person who created it." He confessed.

Padme's brown eyes widened, "….You don't trust Angela?" she asked in disbelief, "How? After all she has done for us and hundreds of other people??"

Obi-wan shook his head slowly, "…..I don't think she's been very honest about who….or what she really is your Majesty."

"She doesn't have to be, Obi-wan. That's just how Angela is, a compete mystery." Padme stated calmly, "….if you ask me, I believe Angela has had a very dark and cruel past which is what made her who she is today."

Obi-wan raised a hand up to his mouth and gave a soft nod, "…….She's working with the Sith, your highness…." He quietly informed.

"What?" Padme asked.

"She was dragged off by one last night, the one from Tatooine, right before my eyes." He stated emotionally.

"Dragged off? Sounds to me like she wasn't willing." Padme gently returned,

"Well she didn't fight back either." He quickly added,

"But did she not fight back on Tatooine?" Padme softly reminded.

Obi-wan turned back to the young Queen, "Could've just been for images…." He grumbled softly,

Padme sighed and shook her head, "Obi-wan," she firmly began, "I know things have been rough between you and Angela in these past days," Padme took a step closer to Obi-wan, "….she's hurt you deeply….I can see it in your eyes." Padme paused, "…..but I also know Angela….probably a little bit better than yourself. I've seen things about her that you'd find unbelievable. So trust me when I say that I do not believe she is on friendly terms with that….Sith man."

Obiwan crossed his arms over his chest, "What makes you say that?" he asked curiously.

"She's been hurt Obi-wan. In more ways then one, her body is covered with scars, both inside and out. Sometimes at night, she is haunted by painful dreams and memories of her past. I've seen it, and on top of that, she's probably been abused too because covering her back are multiple faint scars that imply long-term whipping. I never asked Angela about them because I honestly think she's ashamed of what happened in her past."

Obiwan's eyes went wide in shock for a second before they narrowed in soft rage, "If she was so afraid of that man why did she go back to him?"

"I never said she was afraid. Angela is a strong…..the strongest woman I've ever seen in my life. She fears not for her life but the lives of others. I can't believe she would willingly go with a Sith because she is one, I think she had no other choice but to go." She stated as she recalled some of the last words spoken between her and Angela,

"And what was her reason do you think?" Obi-wan demanded sharply. Padme looked sympathetically at the younger Jedi Knight before,

"Are you really asking me that?" she returned smoothly. Obi-wan turned away, as if he couldn't bare the thought of what she was implying, "….she loves you, Obiwan." She quietly informed.

"She lied to me…." He whispered back as his body fought with many emotions running through his system.

"Hmmm….." Padme began as she slowly turned away from the Jedi Knight and started to walk away giving him sometime alone; she quickly glanced back over her shoulder for a second, "Then she loved you enough to lie." She stated. Then she walked off to leave Obi-wan with his thoughts. When the young Queen came back into the camp, she quickly checked the time before she called everyone together,  
"It's time to take back what's ours." She boldly stated. The men of the camp all gave soft cheers of agreement and pretty soon, Padme found herself leading her small team of forces towards the palace to fight back against the Trade Federation.


	44. Chapter 44: Defying all Boundaries

Chapter 44: Defying all boundaries

**(Angela's P.O.V)**

_Standing in the middle of a grassy plain, Angela looked out onto a great battle in action; the gungans vs. the droids. Both sides were losing members fast but it looked as though the droids were having the advantage of the fight. The scene melted away in the blink of an eye and Angela found herself perched on top of the roof of the palace looking down; from a distance she could see a group of armed people carefully, secretly approaching the palace._

"_Padme!" Angela whispered out loud as she spotted the young queen leading the group._

_Thunder cracked and the scene changed again. Now Angela stood in a hallway of the palace. She heard a door slide open with a hiss and then Maul immerged; he was dressed in his usual black attire with his cloak up and over his horned head, practically hiding his face from view. He stalked by Angela and travelled down the hallway with the swiftness of a Sith before he came to the other end stopped at another door. Then he just stood there with his head bowed…..waiting for something…..or someone._

"_Obi-wan…." She breathed out. Suddenly an imaged filled her mind of her handsome Jedi and his master engaged in a deadly battle with the Sith and it didn't look well. Qui Gon looked to be carrying most of the fight on his shoulders because Obi-wan kept getting knocked out of the way by Maul, like Maul was purposely trying to save Obi-wan for last. Death was definitely on Maul's mind; she could read it in his glowing eyes, as she saw him glare at Obiwan's form. Then like time was suddenly coming to stop, the fight slowed down so that Angela could watch move for move by the three men. Qui Gon was forced pushed back and hit a wall, leaving Obi-wan and Maul standing by themselves. Maul smirked before he pulled his arm back and let his saber fly right at Obi-wan, its red blade charging at his neck._

"_NO!!!" Angela cried as she reached a hand out to Obi-wan._

Angela's eyes snapped open and she gasped for breath. Her heart was pounding wildly within her breast it almost hurt; sweat covered her brows and neck.

"Obiwan…" she gasped as she shot forward to jump to her feet. But a sharp and strong force pulled back painfully on her arms, jerking her back to her original position. Her head snapped up and spotted the chains that were tightly restraining her to the bed. And then she remembered,

"Maul…." She growled, "…that bastard!!" she swore under her breath before she glanced around the room; from the light that was shining through the window, Angela guessed that it must be midday. Which meant only one thing, the battle has begun. Her fears were confirmed when she could faintly hear the sounds of guns going off from some part of the Palace. "Damnit, no!!" she cried as she started to pull and thrash against the chains holding her. The iron clasps that were secured around her wrists were pretty thin, like a thick strip of coiled wire, and the more she fought against them, the harder they dug into her skin. She could feel them cut and slice into the soft flesh around her wrist bones and pretty soon she could feel warm blood trickle down her bare arms. The pain wasn't affecting her though, the only thing that she cared about was getting free to help Padme conquer the Viceroy and save Obi-wan from Maul. She growled and hissed while pulling and twisting on her restraints. With great difficulty, she was slowly starting to squeeze her hands through the iron clasps. She let out a loud battle cry to release her frustration from being locked up like this in the first place and then miraculously, one hand was able to slide free of the clasp. Angela almost screamed with delight but instead shook her free hand, arm out before she held it out in the direction where her precious saber laid abandoned on the ground; using the force, it lifted itself off the ground before it flew across the room smoothly and landed perfectly in her open hand which closed tightly around the metal hilt. Thinking fast, Angela raised the saber back behind her head and swiped the blade down across the chain holding her other hand; her blade cleanly cut through it like it was made of butter and her other hand fell free. Angela immediately flew from the bed with her saber in hand as she dashed toward the door; it was still locked from the night before, Angela knew that. Right as she stood in front of it, she jumped into the air, kicking her leg up before it roughly connected with wood; she skillfully used the force behind her already powerful blow and sent the door splitting in two while flying right off its hinges. Angela was out of that blasted room in the blink of an eye before she was taking off down the hall at great speed. Using her sharp senses, Angela raced through the palace, tracking down Padme's forces. Pretty soon the sounds of guns got louder and as Angela turned a corner, she appeared right in the middle of a crossfire between the droids and the queen's team. Angela charged into battle, cutting down the droids that were in her path, before she pulled the final move to end the fight; she drew her saber up and threw it hard into the air, letting it soar toward the final clump of droids, then she used the force to direct it like a boomerang as it swiftly cut off all the heads of the droids before gliding back into her open hand.

"Black Rider!" one of the men called in surprise. Angela turned her head at her name and spotted the small group of people before she quickly walked over to them.

"Where's Padme?" she quickly asked as her eyes searched the group's females to see someone dressed like the Queen but was not the queen herself.

"We split up, she took her group around the West Wing of the palace, we were suppose to take the East Wing, then meet up in the North to surround the Viceroy. But the droids have blocked our path."

Angela gave a sift nod of her head in understanding, "Looks like we'll have to take a detour then." She stated as she looked about for another way of travel. "Follow me." She ordered as she swiftly took off down the hall at a fast walking pace; the Queen's team quickly followed behind without hesitation,

"Black Rider, what is it that you plan to do?" The decoy Queen asked from behind,

"What the plan said." She answered calmly, "..divide and conquer."

"How? The droids are blocking our path to the East." A guard pointed out,

"Improvise, my good man. We're going to improvise. You'll find that there is more than one way to get around this Palace." Angela wisely pointed out as she approached a smaller door on the side of the hall, "We're going up." Angela waved her hand in front of the door and watched as it slid open, "Everyone in." she ordered.

Everyone quickly bunched inside the small box like room, Angela being the last one to enter. She went over to a small key pad and started punching coordinates in, "This will take us directly to the North East side of the Palace. Once out, you'll head north from here and should be able to meet up with Padme's group."

Suddenly the room they were in jolted to life; it was an emergency elevator. Angela heard murmurs of approval at her new plan and could sense a rise of confidence coming from the people inside. When at last they came to their new destination, and they evacuated the elevator together, they swiftly made their way north in hopes to cut off the Viceroy. As they drew near the throne room which was where the Viceroy was, Angela could hear voices talking,

"Now your highness….it is time for you to sign this treaty."

Angela glanced behind her at the decoy queen and gave her a nod; the girl nodded her head in understanding before pulling out her small handheld gun and led the rest of the group quickly to the doorway of the throne room.

"Viceroy!" the girl fiercely called as she aimlessly fired off the laser gun into the doorway of the throne room. The Viceroy spun away from Padme before him before he started panicking,

"After her!" he ordered his droids before he sharply pointed at Padme, "This is a decoy!" he shouted. The Destroyer droids rolled out of the throne room, chasing down the pretend queen's team who skillfully led them far away from the throne room. "Close those doors!" the Viceroy called. Angela's head snapped to the see the throne room's doors starting to slide shut; in a flash Angela leaped into action, sprinting at the closing doors before jumping right through the closing opening. She did a quick ground roll before jumping back up to her feet and started knocking out the rest of the droids in the room. All the while, Padme had secretly gone over to her throne and opened up a secret compartment carrying two extra guns. She tossed one the her captain before she and him took out the last two droids. Then they turned their weapons on the Viceroy who, since he was left without defense, put his hands up in the air; Padme bravely stalked up to the tall Alien man,

"Now Viceroy," she began firmly, "…it s time to discuss a new treaty!"

Angela couldn't help but smile at her brave friend before she gave a proud nod of approval. The Viceroy was then cuffed by the Captain and taken into custody. Padme then turned about to see Angela watching her, a look of pure delight came to her face before she ran and tightly embraced her friend.

"We did it!" she softly cried in Angela's ear.

"You did it Padme." Angela corrected.

"I wouldn't have been able to without your help." She confessed as they pulled away, Angela shrugged,

"All I did was give you a push in the right direction." Angela's eyes at that moment quickly traveled around the group there before something struck Angela, "Where's Master Qui Gon and Obi-wan?"she quickly asked looking back at the real young Queen of Naboo.

A grave look came over Padme's features, "We were separated from them when we encountered a man dressed in black robes in the main hanger. Angela paled slightly,

"Maul….." she breathed out, "Where did they go?" she quickly asked.

" They took the South corridor which would lead them into the…" Padme didn't get to finish her sentence before Angela had spun about and started to walk off, "Where are you going?" she cried after her friend, Angela stopped for a second to glanced back over her shoulder,

"I'm going to stop that Sith once and for all." She answered.

"We'll come with you." Padme suggested,

"No!" Angela firmly returned, "….this is my fight, Padme. I must do this alone."

Padme bit her lip in deep thought before at last nodding her head, "Be careful, Angela."

Angela gave her friend a soft assuring smile before she reached a hand up to her cloak's tie and undid the black velvet hanging from her shoulders. The warm piece of clothing fell silently to the floor before Angela, with her saber a her side, took off running, going out of the throne room and racing to find that murderous Sith. She knew where his was and knew that she had to find a way to intercept him.

"I know exactly how to do it too." She told herself with a fierce determination. Angela reached out to the force allowed it to guide her to where she needed to be for her plan to work; Angela cut across many rooms and hallways in the palace before she finally entered the one section of it that she needed to get to. She could literally feel, with great relief, the two Jedi and Maul as they continued they're deadly fight though they were not yet in Angela's sight,

"But they are close." Angela stated with confidence as she bolted down what she hoped would be the final corridor that would take her right to Maul. When Angela came out of the corridor, she found herself standing in a large and circular room with a large hole in the middle that led down a long shaft. The force then pulled her attention to the left of her to see Maul, Qui Gon down another corridor making their way towards Angela. All at once the passageway was lit up with a red shield-like barrier; separating Maul in one and Qui Gon in another; Obi-wan was no where to be seen. Angela's eyes searched past Maul's pacing form in his box of red and Qui Gon's relaxed one until Angela spotted Obi-wan in perfect condition racing towards the red barriers before coming to a stop right where they begin at. And since Angela was standing off to the side of the room, the men didn't take notice of the young, fiery woman waiting anxiously for Maul in the corner. The shields were down and the fight started up once more with Qui Gon and Maul beating down on each other while Obi-wan charged at the two trying to catch up. Angela widened her stance as Qui Gon and Maul neared the room she stood in; She watched Maul closely more than anything since it was him she was after. The moment his feet passed the final sensor for the red shield like gate Angela sprung into action; she boldly took a few steps towards the Sith's form as he was still locked in combat with Qui Gon before raising her free hand up at Maul's back. Her eyes narrowed softly as she used the force to roughly yank Maul back a few yards before she then forced pushed Qui Gon back into the sensors and used the force to seal him and Obi-wan inside the gates. Then she lowered her hand down back to her side and turned to face Maul who was recovering from her unexpected blow. Turquoise eyes locked hard with glowing yellow red ones; now that she has his attention, Angela must face Maul alone.


	45. Chapter 45: The Duel Of Fates

Chapter 45: The Duel of Fates

"Angela!!" Qui Gon's firm voice called in shock. Angela glanced over at the Jedi Master who stood behind the red gate. She gave him a soft nod before looking back at Maul.

Maul looked Angela over before he snarled in rage and growled, his red lightsaber was still activated on both ends.

"How in blazes did you get free?" he hissed through his black and gold teeth. Angela's eyes narrowed dangerously before she gave him a slight smirk of pride as she started to circle around the pit before him,

"I've got my ways Maul, I would think by now you of all people would know that." She threw back. Maul then eyed her bloodied wrists and blood streaked arms before smirking as well,

"You always did know how to push past your limits." He stated with a slight nod, "……watch that be your downfall." He snapped venomously. Angela shook her head,

"The only downfall that we'll be discussing today Maul," Angela began before she raised her saber up in defense, "…..is yours."

Maul's eyes lit up and the Sith started to laugh disturbingly,

"Little Angela," he mocked, "…..you think you have what it takes to kill me?" he asked in amusement.

"I'm a _**Sith**_ aren't I?" she snapped back sarcastically. Maul's eyes darkened with anger,

"Hardly……but then again let's see what you're made of." He growled before he started to charge at Angela; Angela ran up to meet his attack as he started to swing his lightsaber, Angela raised her own up in a defense block. The two weapons connected roughly before the two opponents pulled back and began their great battle. Angela kept her eyes locked on Maul's as she was able to counter all his forceful blows; it was then she figured out the weakness in his fighting strategy. Maul uses his double sided lightsaber because his strongpoint is his speed, where Angela's is agility and footing. So quickly thinking, as she brought her saber down against Maul's, she pulled a switch foot move that allowed her to land an advantage against the Sith's form. While Maul was trying to comprehend what she was doing, Angela was able to free a hand and land a forceful punch right under Maul's chin. The Sith grunted and stumbled back a few feet, his eyes blazing more red than yellow as he turned his head to the side and spat blood right from his mouth; his eyes never leaving Angela's form. Then he raised a hand up to his lips to wipe away a streak of blood that was trailing down his chin,

"I suppose you think yourself very clever." He stated angrily; Angela shrugged her shoulders before retorting,

"Only compared to some." She calmly replied.

Maul then glanced away from Angela to look back at the two Jedi still trapped behind the red gates watching the fight between him and Angela; his eyes narrowed softly as he started to wonder why they haven't opened yet and then he could feel the force sealing it shut by Angela's will. A chuckle arose from the back of his throat,

"Oh….." he mocked, "….how noble of you, Angela. Using your skills with the force to keep your Jedi trash at bay." He slowly started to circle about Angela's form, "Why not let them join the fight, eh? The more the merrier, right?" he stated suggestively; Angela shook her head,

"If you want to hurt them Maul, then you'll have to kill me first." She replied.

"Kill you?!" Maul exclaimed before he started to laugh, "Why would I do that? You are far too much fun."

"Well then sucks to be you because that's the only way I'll let those barriers down." She pointed out.

"Ah……" Maul murmured in amusement, " So you think that just by killing you that'll be the only way I'll be able to get to those two?" he asked before shaking his head slowly, "Angela I must admit you are an exceptional fighter and you know how to use the force well but I believe you lack some basic knowledge about it. I wouldn't have to kill you; I'd just need to break your connection with the force by shattering your concentration." He answered with a sick grin.

"That'll never happen, Maul." Angela threw back.

"Oh we'll see." He replied at the challenge before he quickly lunged at Angela's form. Angela swiftly dodged his attack and took a swing at Maul with her saber in return which he blocked in a heartbeat. This same routine went on for about five minuets until the two pulled back to catch their breaths, "Do you really think you can keep this up?" he asked breathlessly.

"I'll do whatever it takes." She replied fearlessly.

"Angela, you know I really don't like hurting you…"Maul began,

"Huh…..that's never stopped you before!" Angela quickly snapped.

"But if you insist on this…..defiance than I have no choice but to do what I must."

"Fine. You do what'cha you do; I'll do what I do."

Maul's eyes darkened in rage once more, "I've tried to be fair, Angela but my patience has reached its end. Stand down!"

"No!"

"So be it!" he hissed. Maul's hand shot out as he used the force to knock Angela off her feet and sent her crashing into a wall. As she picked herself off the ground, Maul's boot collided roughly with her midsection, stealing the breath right from her body. While she kneeled hunched over, Maul kicked Angela's saber out of her hand before his own hand came down and grasped her by her neck. He lifted her off the ground before shoving her back into the wall,

"Last chance, Angela." He hissed through his teeth. Angela took in a deep breath before she defiantly stared into his glowing eyes,

"Fuck you, Maul!" she hissed back.

Maul growled. Before he raised his saber up till its red tip was pointed in between her breasts, "Then let's see how the Black Rider handles this."

Maul lowered his blade down to Angela's left side; Angela could feel the blade's heat seep right through her black gown. Suddenly the blade itself was touching Angela's body; it instantly burned right through her clothing before it started searing the skin down by her hip. Angela's body jumped as the white-hot pain flashed over her entire left side. Angela tried not to scream but even this was a new level of pain for her. Her cries echoed throughout the room.

"Angela!!" she heard Qui Gon and Obiwan yell in unison. Maul glanced over to see that the gates were still locked shut. Maul pulled his saber away and looked down at the damaged he caused with a small, satisfied smirk. Angela now had a cauterized gash about four inches long and two inches deep within her left side.

"Give up yet?" he asked sickly.

Angela, who was slightly slumping against the wall, trying to recover from the torture she was just put through, looked up bravely with cold eyes. Her leg shot out before Maul could react and collided in an unfriendly manner with a spot just below his knee. Maul hissed and stumbled back allowing Angela to lunge at his form; she knocked his lightsaber out of his hand before tackling the Sith to the floor. With her knee pressing down into his upper chest, Angela half-straddled his form before she landed three, hard and powerful blows to his face. Maul lifted a hand and threw a punch that caught Angela under her chin and sent her flying back across the floor. Despite her injuries already, Angela jumped back to her feet with great speed while Maul picked himself off the ground.

"When I'm done with you….." he growled, "….you'll be begging for death!" he snapped venomously.

Angela's eyes narrowed at the threat before she reached out to the force and called her saber back to her. It flew off the ground and was caught easily in Angela's hand. Her hand closed tightly around its hilt. Maul slowly shook his head at her continuous determination to bring him down;

"How much more of this do you think you can take, Angela? What's it gonna take to break that blasted will of yours?" he asked irritably as he finally retrieved his own weapon that was still inactive. Angela remained silent. "You may be strong Angela, but your still human!" he pointed out as he charged at her once more. Angela raised her saber up as Maul turned on one side of his double sided weapon and brought it up over his head to strike her down. Their weapons met with a fierce force as they ended up getting locked together. "I don't know what'll please me more, breaking you…..or killing them!" he hissed through his teeth. Angela quickly glanced over at the red gates to see Qui Gon now kneeling on the ground in a meditated form; Obi-wan a few gates behind him was standing tensely watching silently. As Angela turned her bead back to face Maul, Maul head butted her with his forehead. The statement was a distraction. Angela's head snapped back as did the rest of her body before Maul yanked her weapon out of her hands, leaving her defenseless. As she tried to recover from the blow, Maul who was now holding both his lightsaber and her own, raised Angela's high into the air before he brought metal hilt down on the side of her head. Angela heard a sickening crack then felt a flash of pain before her vision went completely white and her body numb. She couldn't even see Maul who stood lees then two feet from her smirking at her almost defeated form. Instinctively, she brought a hand up to her head and felt it go wet with blood, a lot of blood. To finish her off, Maul jumped up into the air and roundhouse kicked Angela in her stomach. The force knocked her off her feet and sent her flying to other side of the room before she smacked into the wall. Angela slid to the floor limply. At that moment, Angela lost her grip on the force and the red gates opened. She faintly heard her name get called as she kept drifting in and out of consciousness, then heard the familiar sounds of clanging lightsabers before she heard a grunt and the sound of something getting chucked into a wall on the other side of the circular pit from her. Then she felt the soothing and familiar touch of a warm hand; the force was flowing through the hand that rested on her forehead and was helping Angela's injury.

"Angela?" Qui Gon's voice called softly; Angela's eyes fluttered open. Her vision was back but was badly blurry and unfocused, but she didn't need 20"20 vision to distinguish the deep blue eyes and beard,

Angela groaned, "Qui Gon…." She saw his head nod slowly. Angela started to force her body to sit up but she was stopped when she felt Qui Gon's hand on her shoulder,

"No Angela." He firmly spoke, "Stay down. You're in no condition to fight any longer."

"But, Qui Gon….Maul…" she started to protest,

"You've done enough already, let me and Obi-wan take care of the rest." He insisted.

Angela softly shook her head and found that her vision was clearing by the second. She looked over to see Maul was picking himself up from the ground where Qui Gon had thrown him once he was free, then she glanced to see that Obi-wan was still stuck behind the last red gate. Angela turned back to Qui Gon, "Qui Gon…..I'm so sorry...I never wanted this" She confessed referring to her connection with Maul.

"Hush Angela. I know….I know." He answered softly. Angela glanced behind Qui Gon to see Maul charging at his back,

"Qui Gon!" she cried in warning. Qui Gon jumped to his feet and whipped his lightsaber out before he met Maul's attack with one of his own. Then skillfully, the older Jedi led Maul back away from Angela's fallen form. Angela watched the two intensely as she tried to force her body to cooperate and get back into the fight. She struggled to her feet, using the wall to help her stand. Once back on her feet, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath to allow the force to come in and help her recover her strength.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!!" she heard Obi-wan cry in anguish. Her eyes snapped open to see that Maul had run Qui Gon through his chest.

"Qui Gon!" Angela cried. As she watched the older Jedi drop to his knees on the ground before he rolled onto his back in defeat, a new form of strength flowed through her veins making her forget all about her broken body and focus only on killing Maul, who now was pacing back and forth in front of the red gate waiting for Obi-wan. Her saber laid abandoned just a few feet from her which she quickly picked up. Once the hilt was firmly in her hands, the red gate opened and Obi-wan sprung free. He flew at Maul with a rage that Angela had never in him before, the power behind his blows was almost unbelievable. Angela gave a weak smile before she charged at the two men and joined the battle, attacking Maul from behind. The look on Maul's face was priceless when he saw that Angela had joined up; it was a mixture of shock, rage and panic. And when Angela met Obi-wan's eyes, she saw a deep look of admiration and gratitude. The two of them put their skills together as they started to cut Maul off. Just when Angela felt they would win this battle, Maul unexpectedly struck Angela with his fist, knocking her away from the fight. As Angela fell hard on her side, right next to the edge of the deep pit, Maul landed a kick right on Obi-wan's chest. Angela watched with horror as he fell right into the pit before her eyes,

"Obi-Wan!!!" she screamed as she leaned over the pit watching his falling form. Obi-wan ended up latching onto a small edgy thing 12 feet inside the pit. Angela gave a soft cry of relief before she looked up at Maul who stood about six feet away. His yellow eyes were glaring into the pit, disbelieving the fact his opponent was still there. He then kicked Obi-wan's fallen lightsaber into the pit and watched as Obi-wan eyed it helplessly as it fell into the abyss that he was barely escaping. A low growl escaped from Maul's throat before his head snapped over to look at Angela,

"Inconceivable, Angela! Looks like your precious little Jedi just wants to hang there." He mocked as he glanced back into the pit to see Obi-wan glaring up at him. "I wonder what he's waiting for….." Maul stated suggestively while a cruel smirk tugged at his lips. In a flash, Maul was in front of Angela gripping her neck and hauling her to her feet. He dragged her to stand directly over where Obi-wan hung, "His beloved Black Rider, possibly?" he answered himself while he tightened his grip on Angela's neck before he pushed her closer to the edge of the pit. Angela was now practically standing on her toes to keep herself out of the pit.

"Would that make you happy, Angela?" Maul asked. "To die alongside your whelp?" he hissed while then swiped his lightsaber down across the pit to cause sparks that flew down to where Obi-wan hung. Obi-wan swung slightly, avoiding Maul's attempt to make him drop. Angela glanced down at Obi-wan; when she met his gaze she offered him a soft, loving smile before she looked away and remained silent to Maul's mockery. In the blink of an eye, Maul lifted her off the ground by her neck,

"What? No final words Angela?" he asked irritably,

"I have nothing to say to you….." she managed to calmly gasp out against Maul's suffocating hold,

"What about to your Jedi scum?" Maul demanded,

"There's nothing I could say that he doesn't already know." She threw back. Maul gave a soft snort,

"Goodbye, Angela!" just when he was about to toss Angela into the pit, she reached down to the slit in her black gown and pulled out a small throwing dagger that she had strapped to her leg. Quickly, with the dagger in her hand, she raised her hand up and stuck the dagger's blade right into Maul's shoulder. Maul gave a quick howl of pain as he dropped Angela who skillfully dived away from pit and rolled away from the edge and Maul.

Obi-wan who was watching from below saw his chance; he looked over at his Master's fallen form and spotted the lightsaber. Using the force, he called the lightsaber to him before he used the force to haul himself right out of the pit before he caught the lightsaber in his hand and turned it on. Obi-wan flipped right over Maul's head and landed gracefully behind him before he swiped the lightsaber right through Maul's midsection.

Maul grunted in quick pain and shock before he limply fell into the pit in front of him, his body splitting in half.


	46. Chapter 46: Meant to Be

Chapter 46: Meant to Be

Angela blinked with amazement and disbelief from her position on the ground as she held her body up on one knee. "It's over…." She breathed out. "Done." She added with relief. Maul was dead and the Viceroy was in custody. Angela tucked a strand of bloody hair behind her ear before she rose off the ground. A sharp pain in her side made her wince as she realized that she still had that gash from Maul's lightsaber. When she looked up, her breath caught in her throat. There was Obi-wan hovering over his almost lifeless Master; Obi-wan was cradling his Master's head in his lap,

"Obi-wan…." Qui Gon's weak voice breathed out, "Train the boy." He spoke, Obi-wan nodded his head obediently,

"Yes Master." He answered,

"He…he is the chosen one. He…will bring balance. Train him."

Obi-wan nodded his head once more. Angela quietly collected her saber, hooking it onto her hip and was getting ready to leave the room, believing that the two Jedi should be alone for the last time when a voice stopped her,

"Angela….." it was Qui Gon; Angela turned her head to see the older Jedi weakly extending his hand to her. Obediently, Angela quickly walked over and took his extended hand before she dropped to a knee beside Qui Gon,

"Yes Qui Gon?" she asked softly. Qui Gon gave her a weak smile and lightly squeezed her hand,

"Take care of him." He whispered.

Angela's eyes widened softly at his words and as she stared into his blue eyes she saw deep within them that he knew the secret love that was shared between her and his apprentice. Qui Gon then took her hand and one of Obi-wan's before he joined the two and held them together. Angela glanced over at Obi-wan who was already looking at her; she shyly glanced away to look back at Qui Gon who gave them a soft nod before he closed his eyes for the final time, his hand that was over both Obi-wan's and Angela's dropped slowly back to his side before lying completely still. Angela pulled her hand back and rose to her feet; Obi-wan held Qui Gon close and shed a fear tears over his lifeless body. After a few minuets, Obi-wan released a loud sigh of grief before he gently set Qui Gon down and rose to his feet. Angela decided that this would be a good time to leave; she turned around and walked away down the corridor that she had used to get to that room in the first place but at the very end of it, she was quickly brought to a stop when Obi-wan's warm hand closed around her wrist. She glanced over her shoulder at Obi-wan, who still had teary eyes before she turned about to face the handsome Jedi. Instinctively, Angela slowly walked up to Obi-wan before she raised a hand up his face and lovingly caressed his face, to comfort his grieving heart. To her surprise, Obi-wan closed his eyes at her touch before he lifted his other hand up to cover Angela's and hold it against his face. A single tear slid down Angela's face as she felt his pain,

"Obi-wan……" she whispered softly; Obi-wan's eyes opened when she spoke his name. Obi-wan reached his hand out and cupped the right side of Angela's face so that he could brush away that one tear with his thumb. Then he took in a shuddering breath,

"You came back." He breathed out.

Angela closed her eyes for a second and quickly glanced down before she looked up into Obi-wan's eyes, "I never left….." she answered.

Obi-wan took a step closer to Angela before he released her wrist and brought both of his hands up to Angela's face, "Angela……" he whispered her name as he lightly stroked down her face, before he leaned his head down so that their foreheads touched. His eyes stared deeply into Angela's for a few silent seconds before a faint smile pulled at his lips, "You still love me." He bluntly stated. Angela choked a soft laugh before she nodded her head,

"Incredibly, Obi-wan." She answered returning his soft smile.

"Prove it." He challenged.

Angela's smile widened softly before she tilted her head up and lovingly kissed the handsome Jedi. His strong arms then wrapped themselves around Angela's body and brought her right up against his before he passionately kissed her back. When the two pulled back, Angela secured her arms around Obi-wan's torso before she rested her head upon his well built chest, listening to the sound of his steady heartbeat.

"Can you forgive me, Obi-wan?" she quietly asked. Obiwan leaned his head down and placed a gently kiss on the top of her head,

"There's nothing to forgive Angela." He answered tenderly. Angela sighed before she closed her eyes once more as she held the Obi-wan in her arms and she in his like it was meant to be.

~~~~~~ That night at Qui Gon's funeral, the two lovers stood side by side and watched silently as Qui Gon's body was burned in an honoring ceremony for the deceased Jedi Knight. Angela was dressed in a new black evening gown with her black velvet cloak over her shoulders and hood up over her head, Obi-wan was dressed in his traditional Jedi clothes with his cloak's hood up too. Padme stood on the other side of Angela, while young Anakin stood on the other side of Obiwan; Anakin turned his small head up to the tall Jedi beside him,

"What's going to happen to me?" his small voice asked. Obiwan's hooded head glanced down at the small boy,

"The Masters have granted me permission to train you," Obi-wan answered, "…you will be a Jedi. I promise."

Angela overheard the few words spoken and glanced over at Obi-wan's form before she faintly smiled behind her hood. Obi-wan could feel her smiling so he turned his head slightly to pass a special look back and unbeknownst to everyone else, their hands secretly found each other and linked together within the folds of their cloaks. Angela gave Obi-wan's hand a gentle squeeze as the two looked back at the flames before she spoke through the force,

"_**It'll be o.k. Obi-wan"**_ she assured affectionately; Obi-wan's hand squeezed back,

"_**It will be…."**_He agreed, "_**…as long as I have you."**_ He finished.


	47. Chapter 47: A Special Ceremony

Chapter 47: A Special Ceremony

The next day the entire capital was alive with excitement as a grand parade marched right down the street to the Palace. It was in honor of celebrating the new friendship between the people of Naboo and the Gungans. Trumpets and drums were sounding throughout the City in a joyful melody. And standing at the top of the grand staircase leading up to the palace, was the young Queen herself, Angela right beside her, along with Obi-wan and young Anakin. The Queen was dressed in a beautiful pale pink gown with a matching feathered dressing gown, Angela, beside her was dressed in a halter gown of pure white silk with her hair falling smoothly about her shoulders and down her back. The two would greet the leader of the Gungans as he came to accept the sphere of Peace. When that time finally came, and the large leader bowed respectfully to Padme and Angela, Padme nodded back while Angela gave a soft curtsey in return. Then the Governor came to the Queen's side holding the glowing sphere on a blue velvet pillow; she took it with careful hands and proudly presented it to the Gungan leader who bowed once more before accepting it, then he turned around to face his people and all of Naboo before he held the sphere high above his head and shouted,

"PEACE!"

The crowd went up in cheers and applause. Angela and Padme smiled happily before the young Queen held her hands up in the air, calling for silence. The cheering died down so that everyone could listen to the young Queen,

"My people," Padme began, "It's a happy day indeed for all of Naboo. I'd like to take a moment to offer my sincere gratitude to all those brave men and women who helped us in our fight against the Trade Federation. There's a few who I'd like to thank personally," Padme stated as she nodded toward the governor who carried up another pillow but on this one there were three gold chains each with its own medal of honor. Padme picked up the first one before she walked over to where young Anakin stood, dressed for the first time in his new Padawan attire, "The first one, is to Anakin Skywalker. For without his help, I, literally probably wouldn't be standing here today. I'd be on Tatooine." She stated lightly; the crowd chuckled as Padme draped the medal around Anakin's small neck. "The next one is to the newly ranked Jedi Master, Obi-wan Kenobi. By his great determination and sacrifice we were able to succeed in our plan to win back our planet. So with that said, I say thank you." Padme stated as she placed the medal around his neck. Obi-wan gave a warm smile and nodded to the Queen. "Finally, " Padme paused for a second to smile over at Angela who looked uncertainly back at her, "I want to formally present to all of Naboo, the one and only Black Rider and my dearest friend, Angela Johnson!"

Thousands of voices coming from the people cheered wildly as Padme took Angela by her hand and led her out so that everyone could see her. Angela blushed softly before she offered a smile and raised a hand up to the people and nodded her head in acknowledgement; Padme continued on with her final speech, "Angela, my friend no amount of words that could come from my lips could possibly be able to describe my eternal gratefulness for all that you have done for me and our people. So I present you with this," Padme took up the last chain from the pillow before she placed the chain over Angela's neck; Angela glanced down to see that the only thing that hung off the chain, was a gold replica of the moon and star on her left hand, her own symbol. "From now on, this will be Naboo's national symbol in honor of you, Black Rider." Padme finished off by giving Angela a sisterly embrace in front of everyone started up another round of cheers and applause. When the two girls pulled away, Padme spoke her farewells to the people before she was then escorted back into the palace. Angela turned around and glanced over at Obi-wan who was watching her before he started smiling. Angela smiled back before she shook her head and started heading into the palace behind Padme. Obi-wan was at her side in a second, with Anakin right behind both of them.

"Well that was some ceremony." Angela lightly stated.

"Mmmm yes, indeed." Obi-wan agreed with a soft smile before he opened his mouth to add something but then hesitated for a moment before he leaned his head down close to Angela's ear and added in a whisper, "Meet me on the roof tonight for our own ceremony."

Angela's brows rose up in curiosity, she gonna ask what he meant but realized Anakin was watching so instead she replied, "Sure Obi-wan, we can train later. I'll show you then who the REAL master is."

Anakin broke out in laughter as Obi-wan's mouth dropped open at the challenge before he realized it was a cover up. He grinned at Angela and shook his head while his blue-green eyes narrowed playfully,

"Oh you're gonna be in such trouble." He stated. Angela shrugged her shoulders,

"Nothing I won't be able to handle." She threw back. Anakin laughed again, before he walked up alongside Angela who looked down on the young boy, "What do you say Anakin? Wanna watch your Master get owned?" she asked playfully.

"Yeah!!" Anakin excitedly replied.

"Owned?" Obi-wan repeated before he started chuckling, "….the blazes does that mean, Angela." He asked,

"Oh…you'll find out later." Angela innocently replied.

From that moment on, the day was an enjoyable one, filled with celebration and laughter. Angela and Padme ran around in their fancy gowns with Anakin, playing games with the young boy while Obi-wan observed with amusement. Sometimes Angela was able to get him to play along. The hours flew by and when dinner hit, there was a grand feast in the dining room. With all the excitement of the day, Angela had no appetite dinner, but she was still present to engage in some friendly socializing. Later on during the dinner, Angela noticed that Obi-wan was nowhere in sight. She looked all over the dining room, even asking young Anakin, who was talking to Padme, if he knew where his Master was. The little boy shook his head,

"Haven't seen him since dinner began." He told Angela who in return let out a soft sigh,

"Well…thank you anyways Ani." She stated before she walked away from the young boy and Queen in search of her missing Obi-wan Kenobi. As she thought more about her handsome Jedi, she suddenly heard his voice speaking to her through the force,

"_**Angela?"**_he called,

"_**Obi-wan, where are you?**_" she asked. She heard him laugh softly,

"_**On the roof, where you should be as well."**_ He replied.

"_**Why? Might I ask?"**_she questioned curiously,

"_**Come and see for yourself."**_ He answered.

Angela rolled her eyes happily before she swiftly left the dining hall without a single word and raced up to the roof. The sounds she could hear as she ran was the soft pad of her feet, the gentle whisper of the flowing white train of her gown. As she came through the open door leading out onto the roof, she was met with a sight that would be the shock of her life. It was already dark outside but the roof was a lit with a soft romantic glow coming from the two straight lines of candles that sat on the ground that were arranged so they made an aisle; as her eyes followed the aisle of candles down they stopped right at the edge of the roof so that you could look out onto the capital. Two pots of sweet smelling flowers stood at both ends of the aisle and at the very end, was an older looking man dressed in a formal black and white robe holding a book in his arms. Obi-wan walked out of nowhere, dressed in his Jedi attire and stood waiting for Angela at the beginning of the aisle, he turned to her and smiled before he extended a hand out for her to come and take. In a dreamlike trance, Angela slowly walked over and took his hand,

"Obi-wan what is all of this?" she asked in a whisper as he started escorting her down the aisle of candles slowly,

"Surprised?" he teased softly; Angela laughed softly as a blush settled over her face,

"Yeah just a little bit…….is that a priest?" she quickly asked as she eyed the man who they were now approaching.

"Good observation, Angela." he teased again. He and Angela came a stop right before the old man,

"Master Kenobi." The priest greeted with a soft smile,

"Father Johan," Obi-wan began, "I'm here to take this blushing, and slightly confused vigilante bride as my wife." He stated proudly while he looked down to watch Angela's reaction.

Angela's eyes almost popped out of her head as her mouth dropped open in utter shock before her head snapped up to look at Obi-wan, "…..what?" she squeaked. Obi-wan chuckled.

"Ah and what a lovely bride she is. Shall I proceed then with the ceremony, Master Kenobi?" Father Johan asked lightly,

"Yes, please do." Obi-wan answered.

"Is the lady willing?" the priest asked amusedly,

The two men looked over at Angela, waiting for her answer. When Angela glanced back up into Obi-wan's adoring eyes, she felt her heart melt to the floor,

"I am….." she answered, her eyes never leaving his loving gaze; Father Johan smiled before he opened up his black book to a marked page, Angela turned to face Obi-wan, _**"…..isn't the bride suppose to plan the wedding?"**_ she pointed out through the force. Obi-wan smiled warmly before he took up both of Angela's hands in his,

"_**We can talk more about this once we're married."**_ He answered before he nodded to the priest to continue,

Angela shook her head softly as a smile tugged at her lips. The she and Obi-wan looked over at the priest waiting for him to begin,

"We are gathered here under this starry night sky, with God as our witness, to join together this man and this woman in the holy bonds of marriage…." Father Johan began formally, "Is there anyone here, besides the bride or groom, who believe these two shouldn't marry? Speak now of forever hold your piece." He stated while he glanced around the rooftop despite the fact that there was only him and the young couple present. "No one at all?" he joked, "Oh good. Then let us move on."

Angela and Obi-wan looked back at each other and smiled.

"Master Kenobi? Do you take this woman here to be your lawfully wedded wife?" he asked. Obi-wan looked down on Angela and smiled,

"I do." He answered. The priest then turned to Angela,

"And do you my dear; take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Angela replied with a bashful smile, the priest nodded his head,

"Now do you have the ring, Master Kenobi?" Johan asked. Obi-wan reached inside his robes and pulled out a silver band with a white diamond in the center, "Good, good, now take you're lady's left hand," Obi-wan did what he was instructed to do, "…and repeat after me: I, Obi-wan Kenobi,"

"I, Obi-wan Kenobi," he repeated,

"….take this woman to be my wife,"

"Take this woman to be my wife,"

"To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do us part."

Obi-wan repeated the line word for word in his rich, smooth voice as he slid the ring onto the fourth finger on Angela's left hand, "With this wing, I thee wed." he stated softly, finishing his vows

"And do you my dear, have his ring?" the priest asked. Angela glanced up at Obi-wan smartly,

"Yeah Obi-wan, where's your ring?" she asked lightly, Obi-wan grinned sheepishly before he flashed Angela his left hand which already wore his marriage band.

"Well…." The priest mumbled, "….that works too. Now my dear repeat after me, I……" the priest started but Angela softly cut him off by saying the whole marriage vow by memory.

"I, Angela Marie Johnson, take this man to be my husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer until death do us part." Angela and Obi-wan linked hands again before she brushed her thumb across his cool silver band before adding, "With that ring, I thee wed."

The priest chuckled to himself while he shook his head,

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. Master Kenobi," the priest spoke; Obi-wan looked away from Angela to glance at the old man, "You may kiss your bride." He finished. Obi-wan grinned softly before he turned back to Angela who again was shaking her head but still smiling up at him. Obiwan pulled Angela close before he leaned his head down and captured her lips with his in a gentle kiss that would from that night on, permanently bind them together. When they pulled away at last, they turned their heads to see the old priest walking away while mumbling in amusement how 'this was the strangest wedding ceremony he's ever conducted.' Angela and Obi-wan laughed softly before Angela hid her face within Obi-wan's chest.

"I can't believe it." She murmured dreamily before she pulled back and looked up a her husband, "How did you plan all of this?" she asked curiously,

"I'm a Jedi, Angela." He began, "I've got my ways." He answered playfully.

"Hey!" Angela lightly protested with a smile, "….that's my line!"

Obi-wan smiled, "I know." He answered. Angela's mouth dropped open before she started to laugh and push out of his warm arms. She took a few rebellious steps away before she turned away and crossed her arms over her chest,

"Obi-wan Kenobi how dare you mock me!" she dramatically declared with a smile. Obi-wan's arms slid around her waist from behind before he pulled her close till her back rested against his chest,

"Any reason for the full names Angela?" he asked humorously. Angela glanced back and looked up before she raised an eyebrow at him,

"That is your name, is it not?" she playfully threw back with a smile,

Obi-wan laughed, "Yes it is." He agreed, "….but it's your name now too." He added in a whisper as he leaned his head down and placed a tender kiss upon the side of Angela's neck. Angela closed her eyes and found herself tilting her head to the side to give him better access.

"I must be dreaming…." She told herself inside her mind, "….this is all too…perfect." She opened her eyes again when Obi-wan pulled his head away, "Obi-wan," she calmly spoke, "Were you allowed to do this?" she asked. Obi-wan sighed softly behind her as his arms tightened possessively around her waist,

"Technically…..no Jedi is allowed to marry someone, Angela." He explained, "…..we're not even suppose to love."

Angela turned around in his arms so that she could face him, "You're defying the Jedi Order for me." She stated seriously; Obi-wan nodded in return,

"Yes. And I would do so again without hesitation." He answered.

"Oh Obi-wan," Angela breathed out, "Why did….," Angela didn't get to finish her sentence before Obi-wan silenced her with a finger to her lips,

"Because I love you, Angela. You are my reason for living now. You have become apart of me. I can't even bear the thought of not having you in life. I need you." He replied.

Angela smiled softly at his words before her smile faded, "Our love must be kept a secret then." She calmly stated in a matter of fact tone. Again Obi-wan nodded,

"For now." He agreed, "I won't be able to leave the Jedi Order until…." He began to explain but Angela instantly caught on and nodded her head before she finished his sentence for him,

"You must train Anakin first….I understand." She stated, the young couple was silent for a few moments before Angela spoke up again, "From the moment we first met Obi-wan, you and I have always put our duty before 'us'," she reminded, "And so until you do leave the Jedi Order, that way must always remain. Promise me Obi-wan, that even though you and I are married now you will always put your duty before me."

"Angela…." Obi-wan began to protest but Angela quickly cut him off,

"Promise me Obi-wan." She repeated more firmly this time. Obi-wan sighed,

"I vow Angela that no matter what, my duties as a Jedi Knight shall come before anything else."

Angela gave a small satisfied smile, "Then let my vow be just the same." She stood up on her tip-toes to give Obi-wan a peck on the lips. "Now," she began once she pulled away, "….best head back down to the dining hall. I think our presence will be missed if we stay away for much longer."

Obi-wan grinned but nodded in agreement, "I think your right." He said as he draped a strong arm around her back before he started to lead them off the roof.

"Oh…." Angela spoke up, "….remind me when we get back down to the Dining Hall to give Anakin his gift." Angela stated. Obi-wan glanced down on his wife to raise an eyebrow,

"Gift?" he repeated, Angela smiled softly and nodded her head,

"Yes. It's a thank you/congratulations new Padawan kind of gift." She explained.

"Ohhh…" Obi-wan answered in understanding before he started to caress Angela's back with his hand, "Do I get a gift?" he asked teasingly, Angela laughed before she glanced over at her husband with a mischievous smile playing across her lips,

"Mmhmm!" she answered with a nod, "Yours comes later." She replied, "..…much later." She added in a soft seductive tone.

Obi-wan's eyebrow rose to an arch as smile started to bloom across his handsome face, "I like how that sounds." He replied. A soft blush came to Angela's face as she smiled back,

"I knew you would." She teased back causing Obi-wan and herself to laugh quietly to themselves as they entered the Palace once more and made their way down to join back up with the ongoing celebration happening in the Dining Hall.


	48. Chapter 48: Just One Night

Chapter 48: Just One Night

As the secret young couple walked into the Dining Hall, side by side like friends, they were instantly greeted by young Anakin who came bounding up to Angela before he threw his arms around her in a tight hug,

"Angela!" he happily exclaimed; Angela laughed softly as she hugged the young boy back,

"Hello again, Ani." She returned. When Anakin pulled back he looked up at Angela first before he glanced over at his new Master who had a soft smile on his face with a single eyebrow raised up in amusement. Anakin pulled away from Angela to turn to Obi-wan,

"Master." He respectfully acknowledged, Obi-wan's smile widened slightly as he nodded his head,

"Padawan."

Anakin glanced back over at Angela, "I see you found my Master." He stated with a soft boyish laugh,

Angela smiled, "Indeed I did." She replied humorously, "Ah…that reminds me." She added as she magically pulled out a neatly wrapped parcel from behind her back, "I have something for you, Anakin." She stated as she held the wrapped gift out for the small boy to take.

A full smile bloomed across the young boy's face as his blue eyes lit up with pure happiness. He hesitantly reached out and took the parcel out of Angela's hands,

"Thanks Angela!" he softly exclaimed, as he examined what he held in his hands, "What is it?' he asked curiously,

Angela shrugged her shoulders, "Why don't you see for yourself." She suggested with a soft wink. Anakin glanced over at Obi-wan for his approval; when the young Jedi Master nodded his head, Anakin carefully tore away the wrappings away from the parcel. When he lifted the lid off the slim rectangle box he held, he gasped in surprise,

"Whoa!!" he exclaimed as he reached in and pulled out what was in the box. His blue eyes were wide in awe as they traced over the elegantly crafted throwing dagger. It's blade was fresh, sharp and about six inches long, half an inch wide. And it looked like a smaller replica of Angela's own saber.

"Mind the inscription, Anakin." Obi-wan pointed out as he spotted engraved words going down on one side of the dagger's blade. Anakin turned the blade to see for himself, his blonde head cocked to the side as he read what was carved into the blade,

"Never….give up...without a fight." He read outloud with a proud smile. Then Anakin delicately placed the dagger back inside its box before he threw his arms around Angela once more,

"Thanks Angela! I love it!" he happily exclaimed, as he pulled away, "Hey Master, will I be able to learn how to use it?" he asked with excitement,

"Patience, young Padawan. First let's get your training basics down before moving onto other things." Obi-wan answered seriously but had an amused light in his eyes,

Anakin sighed, "O.k." he complied.

"Master Kenobi." A new, low voice greeted as it suddenly came into the picture; Angela and Obi-wan turned their heads to left to see two other Jedi Master walking towards them. One was a tall, bald, and black human the other a short green animal-like creature with a cane. Obi-wan and Anakin instantly bowed,

"Master Windu, Master Yoda." They greeted respectfully. The two older Jedi Masters nodded their heads before hey both turned their gazes onto Angela, who stood next to Obi-wan,

"And you must Angela. We have heard so much about you, Black Rider." Master Windu stated. Angela instantly gave a low bow of respect to the two Masters. Master Yoda closed his green eyes for a second or so,

"Mmmm…." He mumbled as he opened up his eyes, "A strong one you are." He pointed out wisely with a soft nod of his head. Angela didn't know how to respond to that so she remained silent. Then Master Yoda gave her a slight secret smile before he turned back to Obi-wan

"Come to say that leaving tonight we are." Master Yoda stated, referring to himself and Master Windu. Obi-wan straightened up and gave a nod of understanding,

"Suggest we would that you should consider leaving soon as well." Yoda added. Angela felt her throat close up at the old Master's words but her face remained expressionless.

"Young Skywalker must be settled in the Temple as soon as possible to begin his training which he is far behind in for his age." Master Windu added in. Again, Obi-wan nodded his head,

"May I ask that my Padawan leaves with you two tonight and I'll leave tomorrow morning?" he asked courteously, "I have a few things I need to do before heading back to Corescant." He explained.

Yoda nodded his head, "Understand this we do. Young Skywalker, come with us he will and meet you back at the Temple." Obi-wan bowed in silent thanks before he turned to his young apprentice,,

"Anakin, go and collect your things. You'll be leaving tonight with Master Yoda and Master Windu." Obi-wan explained calmly. Anakin glanced over at Angela who gave him a small sad smile before she nodded her head in agreement. Anakin nodded his head obediently before he bowed once more and quickly walked off to pack up his belongings. Angela watched the small boy as he made his way over to Padme who, once he explained the situation, followed him out of the Dining Hall to help and then say her farewell.

"Leave a ship for you we will." Yoda spoke.

"We suggest that you leave at sunrise tomorrow." Master Windu stated. Obi-wan gave another obedient nod,

"It will be done Masters." He promised. Both gave him a nod of approval,

"May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi." Windu added before he and Master Yoda turned and left as silently as they came. One they were out of sight, Angela turned to Obi-wan with a secret look that told him 'follow me.' Angela sighed before she turned on her heel and left the same way she and Obi-wan had come into the Dining Hall with Obi-wan following close behind. Angela led him through the many corridors before she stopped him in one secluded enough to give them some privacy to talk alone,

"So soon…." She started off, "….that's so….freaking soon!" she breathed out as she turned around to face Obi-wan who in return, quickly pulled her into his arms to comfort her. He raised a hand up to lovingly stroke her head,

"Ssshh…" he murmured soothingly, "I know. I didn't think they'd want me back so soon. I was hoping to stay a few extra weeks." He explained. Angela nuzzled into his chest,

"I've got one night with you…." She pointed out before she looked up to meet his gaze, "…..one." she whispered. Obi-wan brought a hand up to caress her cheek,

"Then let's not waste it." He stated with a soft smile. Angela brought her own hand up to take Obi-wan's hand in hers before she brought it down to her lips and placed a kiss upon his knuckles,

"Pack up your things, and get the ship they are leaving for you. Once that's done, take the ship and meet me at the lake." Angela gently ordered. Obi-wan raised a soft eyebrow up in curiosity but nodded his head,

"O.k." he replied. Angela smiled softly before she quickly pulled away, "Hurry." She added before she walked off in one direction and Obi-wan in another. She practically ran to the new chamber that Padme had just given her. Once inside, Angela packed up a few of her own things that she needed. Once she had a small bag packed, she fled from her chamber to the Royal Stables where she would saddle a horse for herself. On the way she ran into Anakin who was giving Padme a parting embrace,  
"Don't forget me." He asked,

"Never, Ani." Padme promised as she pulled away from the young boy. Master Windu and Yoda were standing off to the side; Anakin then glanced over and spotted Angela,

"Oh Angela!" he exclaimed softly as he ran over and gave her a tight hug, "I thought I was gonna have to leave without saying goodbye." He stated. Angela kneeled down to the floor so that she was eye level with the young boy,

"No I'd never let that happen." She assured as she hugged the boy back, when she pulled away she gave him a soft smile, "Now….be good. Train hard, and be sure to keep a watchful eye on your Master for me o.k.?" she asked teasingly which caused Anakin to smile and laugh,

"Sure thing." He promised. Angela nodded with approval, "I'm going to miss you Angela." He added.

"I'll miss you too, Ani. But this won't be goodbye forever. We'll see each other again, I can feel it. And remember, keep that dagger close to you, cause as long as you have it, You'll always have me at your side."

"I will, Angela." He promised.

"Young Skywalker, we must be going now. We have a late journey ahead of us." Master Windu pointed out softly, Angela rose to her feet, before she ruffled Anakin's hair softly, "See you around Ani." She stated.

"Bye Angela." He replied as he stepped away and moved to stand alongside the two older Masters.

"Farewell Queen Amidala and young Black Rider." Yoda began, "May the Force be with you both." With that said, they bowed softly, before turning around and leading Anakin off. Angel heard Padme sigh,

"I'm going to miss that boy terribly." She stated softly, Angela turned and gave her friend a soft smile,

"Me too, Padme," she agreed, "…me too."

Padme then silently turned around and left too, Angela knew that her friend's thoughts were dwelling on the young boy. Once Padme was gone, Angela quickly got to the stables and saddled a horse before she swiftly climbed on its back and gave it a quick kick,

"Let's go!" she ordered as the horse leaped into action. Angela was out of the Palace walls within a few minuets, swiftly making her way over to the lake where she would meet up with her Obi-wan. The ride was quick and took no longer than 20 minuets. Once there, Angela pulled back on the reins and brought the horse to a stop; in one swift movement, she dismounted off the saddle and glanced around. Obi-wan was not there yet which would give her some time to set some stuff up. Angela led the horse over away from the lake and tied it securely to a tree before she grabbed her bag of things and began working. She pulled out a large plush blanket and laid it out on the soft grass that overlooked the crystal blue lake. She sprinkled the blanket with some rose petals that she had brought with her from some roses that were in her chamber. Once that was done, she looked up to the sky to see that the moon was still full, and its white glow illuminated the entire lake area giving it a dream-like feeling. She slipped her feet out of her satin slippers and set them off to the side of the blanket before she reached behind her back and unzipped the back of her gown; she let the fine silk gown fall from her body before it pooled around her bare feet. She bent down and picked it up before she folded neatly and set it down beside her shoes. Now Angela stood only in a strapless, white silk nightgown-like slip that had a slit in its left side that traveled up to the middle of her thigh. As she waited for Obi-wan to get there, she walked out to the edge of the lake and stared out across its dark, glistening water. And soon enough, Angela heard the familiar roaring sound of a ship's engine; she turned around and looked up into the dark sky to see Obi-wan coming in a starfighter. He skillfully landed the ship ten feet away from where Angela stood before he shut down the engine. The hood of the ship slid open with a hiss and Obi-wan gracefully climbed out. Once his boots touched the solid ground, Angela found herself smiling before she quickly walked over to him and threw herself into his awaiting arms,

"About time you got here." She teased as his arms instinctively tightened around her slim waist as he held her against his firm and muscular body; he grinned down on her in response,

"Sorry, have I kept you waiting?" he playfully threw back. Angela shook her head silently, her eyes were bright with laughter before she stood up on her toes and kissed her husband gently,

"Doesn't matter anymore, you're here now. That's all that's important to me." She replied as she took up both of his hands in hers before she started walking backwards, pulling him along with her. Angela was leading Obi-wan over to the blanket she had set up for them; his eyes quickly spotted the work she had prepared and what she was wearing before he smiled adoringly at her and pulled back on her hands and brought her to a stop. Angela glanced up at her husband with curiosity; Obi-wan pulled Angela close to him before he scooped her up in his arms, bridal style. He carried her to the blanket slowly before he kneeled to the ground beside it, with Angela in his arms and gently placed her down on it. Angela sat both patiently and nervously for her husband as Obi-wan shrugged off his brown cloak and tossed it next to Angela's pile of clothing; his boots came off next and were then placed right next to her own shoes. Then Obi-wan slowly moved onto the blanket and kneeled beside Angela's form. With only a few inches separating the two lovers, she reached a hand up to the side of Obi-wan's face and gently stroked his smooth skin with her fingers while Obi-wan hooked his hand behind Angela's neck and tilted her head towards him so that he could claim her mouth with a adoring kiss. Angela found her arms coming up to wrap themselves around Obi-wan's neck before she pulled herself right up against Obi-wan's, sealing the space between their bodies; Obi-wan's own arms slid around her waist before he leaned his body forward, gently pushing Angela's back till she found herself lying underneath Obi-wan. Angela's heart started to pound within her breast with both excitement and nervousness and Obi-wan sensing her emotions, pulled away to look into Angela's face; he used one hand to brush her cheek soothingly, while he kept his other hand on the other side of her body, propping himself up and caging her in. He gave her a small, heart melting smile,

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked gently, Angela reached a hand up and cupped the side of his face before she smiled reassuringly and nodded,

"I want you, Obi-wan Kenobi." She whispered. Obi-wan smiled before he leaned his head down to kiss the woman beneath him once more; once his lips met hers again, a fire lit itself up deep within Angela's body, stirring her senses and awakening sensations she's never experienced before. It was underneath that full moon and clear starry night sky that Angela and Obi-wan finally became one.


	49. Chapter 49: Across the Stars

Chapter 49: Across the Stars

Obi-wan sat fully dressed upon the blanket pulling on one of his brown, knee-high leather boots; once it was on his foot securely, he glanced up quickly,

"I'm going to need the other one." He stated humorously. Angela, who was standing just a foot or so off the blanket, stuck her left leg out through the slit in her slip, showing off most of her leg and Obi-wan's other boot that she was wearing on her own foot. Obi-wan's eyes glanced down at his boot before he looked back up at his new wife. Angela was smiling softly before she raised both her eyebrows up challengingly, seductively. Obi-wan scooted over to where her foot was before he kneeled before Angela. Gently, he reached for her under her leg before he lifted it up and slid his boot off her foot till was as bare as before. Obi-wan lightly caressed the back of Angela's leg with his hand before he leaned down and placed a soft kiss right above her knee. Obi-wan pulled away slightly to glance eastwards,

"It's almost sunrise…." He softly stated. Angela turned her head to look as well and sure enough, bright pinks and yellows were starting to peek out from under the horizon, lighting up the still dark, early morning sky. Angela's heart dropped as she watched the approaching dawn while Obi-wan slipped on his other boot before he rose to his feet. At the sound of his movement, Angela turned to face her husband; Obi-wan stood tall with his Jedi cloak hanging over one arm, his blue-green eyes were filled with both love and sadness,

"My heart has always been yours, Angela." He spoke, "…and it always will be no matter where life takes us." He promised, "…..will you wait for me, my darling wife?" he asked. Angela gave a sad smile before she nodded her head and walked over to him,

"Yes…." She answered, "….yes…." she whispered, "…always." She added. Obi-wan took a step closer too till only a few inches separated them. He leaned his head down till their foreheads touched before they both closed their eyes, savoring the feeling of being so close to each other. And just when Angela thought that he was going to kiss her, Obi-wan quickly pulled away and was starting to walk off towards his ship. Angela's eyes opened to see him swiftly approaching the transport; her head shook softly before she took off running after him,

"Obi-wan!" she cried as she instantly covered the distance between them; at his name, Obi-wan turned around before he reached his arms out to catch Angela who practically jumped into embrace. Obi-wan held her tight as their lips met for a final passionate kiss. When Obi-wan pulled back and met Angela's gaze he reached a hand up and brushed her cheek,

"Look for me in the stars, my love." He told her, "For I'll be coming for you again sooner than we both may think." He finished. Angela nodded,

"I love you." She breathed out as she finally managed to pull herself out of his warm embrace; Obi-wan smiled softly,

"I love you too, Angela." Obi-wan then slowly turned away from Angela and went to the ship and this time, she let him go. The cockpit opened up with a hiss before Obi-wan climbed inside. When the ship sealed itself shut again, and the engine turned on, Angela took a few more steps back and then watched. The ship lifted slowly off the ground, giving Angela and Obi-wan some time to look at each other for the last time before Obi-wan directed it up into the air before it shot into the sky at great speed. And Angela stood there watching that spot in the sky even when his ship was long gone and out of sight. Though a part of Angela wanted to weep for the separation she now must endure for God-knows-how-long, a much stronger feeling took over, a feeling to great to describe it in words but it was almost peaceful and it eased the pain that was growing in her heart. Obi-wan had made a promise to her, a promise that he would come for her again. This was not the end, this was only the beginning. Angela couldn't help but softly smile to herself at the thought; she and Obi-wan will reunite at some point in time again. A Jedi Knight and the Black Rider…….no not just the Black Rider……his Black Rider.


	50. Author's Note: It's not Over! :D

**_Authors note: Hey guys!! So at last we have reached the end of this story and it gives me great pleasure to say that this isn't the end for all our beloved characters. That's right there's a SECOND story on its way. And if you loved this one, then you'll absolutely die for this next one. So keep a sharp eye out for it if you really want to see what happens to Angela and her handsome Jedi Knight, Obi-wan Kenobi. Becuase their story will continue!! Also while I'm at it, I'd like to say thanks to all my fans who have read and reviewed my writings, I really appreciate it. :) So yeah, that's about it. I hope you all enjoyed this story and will hang around for the second one. ta-ta for now!! _**


End file.
